,  :.— 


. 


- 

~  • 


li 

4\ti\\  ••  -   .       i  .\\ii 


-  . 


i 

• ..  ,  • 

---•--:.---. 


,    .  -. 

i>5S5SS551 

,       [  j    - 

- . , t\t\\v\v:  - . 
i\\\\\\\v 


.  -  - 

k\\i.  i 

•  .. 


-  •-     '  -     '  '        - 

-.      ,  .  - 

•       -.  - 

- 


.  .',  \  <  \  \  \    . 


-  '  -        '  - 

-.      '       •  ' 


••....•• --     •  •  r_ 

..    -  -  ......        •  .  .  •  •  -  -•  •. 

.••>-.-  .  •  '•  •  •   • 

,  •,         .,--....  . 

'    ""'  •  •       \\\\\\\\\\\\.\  -•      '      •        ••  -  -  • 

• 

--.--,     \       ..':•.'-  :  '.      .        .       - 

...  .       •  •  -..'•-  '  .       .    _. 

- .      .          "  '  .    •          •:  |  \     ,:••••  •     •  •     -  -     -  •'       . 

---•  - 


-     4.    >«t?^^\v*» 

-         - 

VA^          '  .  •     -         •         > 

• 


-      -         -Wf-.v' 


GIFT   OF 
C.    H.    Hovey 


THE 


GRAPE   CULTUPiIST: 


A   TEEATISE 


ON   THE         \  , '  ,•••>',  } 


CULTIVATION  OP  THE   NATIVE  GRAPE. 


BY 


S.  JFULLER, 

practical  $?otticuUurtet,  BrooMp,  H,  ¥. 


NEW    YORK: 
PRINTED    FOR    THE    AUTHOR, 

BY  DAVIES  &  KENT,  188  WILLIAM  STREET. 
1864. 


P? 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1864. 
BY  ANDREW  S.   FULLEE, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


PREFACE. 


THE  object  in  presenting  this  little  treatise  upon  the  cultivation 
of  the  native  grape  is  not  to  promulgate  new  theories  or  principles, 
but  to  elucidate  the  practice  of  those  already  known.  Neither  is  it 
offered  for  the  purpose  of  instructing  those  who  are  already  familiar 
with  the  subject,  but  only  for  those  who  do  not  know  and  are  seeking 
knowledge. 

For  several  years  past  I  have  been  urged  to  give  the  results  of  my 
experiments  m  grape  culture  to  the  public.  I  have  now  partially,  at 
least,  complied  with  the  request,  stating  the  difficulties  that  have 
been  met  and  how  they  were  overcome — not  in  finely-drawn  sentences, 
but  in  the  plain  and  perhaps  homely  language  of  a  practical  horticul- 
turist. 

Scientific  terms  that  are  not  familiar  to  all  have  been  avoided  as  far 
as  possible,  as  it  has  been  my  aim  to  make  the  subject  so  plain  that 
none  could  accuse  me  of  misleading,  if  I  did  not  properly  direct 
them. 

The  horizontal  arm  and  renewal  system  of  training  has  been  given, 
as  I  believe  it  to  be  the  best  for  general  vineyard  culture  as  well  as 
for  gardens,  where  circumstances  will  permit  of  its  being  used.  It  is 
now  twelve  years  since  I  trained  the  first  vine  with  horizontal  arms  ; 
and  though  various  systems  have  been  tried  since  that  time,  none 
have  given  me  such  uniform  and  satisfactory  results  as  this.  It  may 
not  be  the  best  system  known,  but  is  certainly  a  good  and  reliable  one. 


G6S5S4 


IV  PREFACE. 

At  the  present  time  there  is  much  excitement  throughout  the  country 
with  regard  to  grape  culture  ;  old  systems  are  being  revived,  and  new 
ones  invented.  The  same  is  true  with  regard  to  varieties ;  many  of 
the  old,  discarded  kinds  will  be  brought  forward  as  new,  and  when 
introduced  with  really  good  ones,  they  will  be  tolerated  until  their 
worthlessness  is  again  ascertained. 

In  the  short  notice  that  is  given  of  some  of  the  most  prominent 
varieties  in  cultivation,  as  well  as  some  of  the  different  modes  of  cul- 
ture, I  have  endeavored  to  avoid  all  extremes ;  and  if  in  doing  so  I 
shall  save  the  reader  from  some  of  the  bitter  disappointments  which 
are  more  or  less  the  lot  of  all  who  undertake  the  cultivation  of  fruits, 
then  will  my  object  be  fully  accomplished. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
INTRODUCTORY.  . . 


CHAPTER  II. 
GROWING  FROM  SEED 16 

CHAPTER  III. 
PROPAGATING  BY  SINGLE  BUDS 21 

CHAPTER  IV. 
CUTTINGS  OF  UNRIPE  WOOD 87 

CHAPTER  V. 
PROPAGATING  HOUSES 41 

CHAPTER  VI. 
CUTTINGS  IN  OPEN  AIR 49 

CHAPTER  VII. 
LAYERING  THE  VINE 59 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
GRAFTING  THE  GRAPE 64 

CHAPTER  IX. 
HYBRIDIZING  AND  CROSSING 72 

CHAPTER  X. 
TRANSPLANTING 80 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XI.  PAGE 

SOIL  AND  SITUATION 88 

CHAPTER  XII. 
STEM  APPENDAGES 101 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
PLANTING  THE  VINE 113 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
GRAPE  TRELLISES 120 

CHAPTER  XV. 
TIME  TO  PRUNE,  AND  PRUNING  AND  TRAINING 123 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
GARDEN  CULTURE 160 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
MISCELLANEOUS 180 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
INSECTS  AND  DISEASES 187 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
DESCRIPTION  OP  VARIETIES.  ./. 212 

CHAPTER  XX. 
REVIEW  OF  VARIOUS  SYSTEMS  OF  TRAINING 240 


THE 


GRAPE   CULTURIST, 


CHAPTER 


INTRODUCTOKY. 

EVERY  one  who  has  read  ancient  history,  or  studied  any 
of  the  numerous  works  on  vine  culture,  is  aware  that  the 
grape  has  been  cultivated  and  esteemed  as  one  of  the 
choicest  fruits  ever  since  the  earliest  period.  Vine  culture 
has  been  a  constant  attendant  upon  civilization,  following 
it  from  country  to  country,  and  progressing  with  it ;  yet 
the  same  species  of  vine  that  thrives  so  well  over  a  great 
portion  of  the  Eastern  Hemisphere  has,  except  in  a  few 
isolated  locations,  entirely  failed  in  this  our  favored  land. 
Although  we  may  regret  that  the  European  grape  is  un- 
suited  to  our  climate,  yet  we  may  congratulate  ourselves 
that  we  have  indigenous  species  from  which  new  varieties- 
have  been  produced  which  rival,  in  point  of  flavor  at  least, 
any  of  the  foreign  ones ;  and  we  are  encouraged  to  hope 
for  a  native  grape  which  shall  equal  the  European  in  every 
good  quality. 

The  culture  of  the  vine  in  this  country  has  had  many 
obstacles  to  contend  with.  Those  who  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  the  fine  grapes  of  Europe  could  see  nothing  in 
the  inferior  native  grapes  of  this  country  to  induce  them 
to  attempt  to  cultivate  them.  For  many  years  the  vine- 
yards in  this  country  were  planted  with  foreign  varieties 


8  THE    GRAPE    CULTUKIST. 

which,  of  course,  failed,  and  the  vineyardist,*  thinking 
that  there  was  nothing  among  our  indigenous  vines  worthy 
of  his  attention,  replaced  them  with  new  importations 
from  Europe,  and  found  his  trouble  again  rewarded  by 
failure.  After  two  centuries  of  unsuccessful  attempts  to 
grow  the  European  grape  in  open  culture  in  this  country, 
pomologists  turned  their  attention  to  the  improvement  of 
;6ur  native,  specie*  of  vine,  and  their  experiments  have 
given  us  many  choice  and  beautiful  varieties.  It  is  only 
since  foreign  varieties  have  been  discarded  for  our  hitherto 
rferglected  native  sorts,  that  vine  culture  has  become  estab- 
lished as  a  branch  of  American  industry. 

BOTANICAL   CHARACTER  OF  THE  VINE. 

Botanists  have  differed  as  to  the  number  of  species  of 
vine  belonging  to  this  country,  and  this  can  not  be  won- 
dered at  in  a  plant  which  is  so  disposed  to  run  into  varie- 
ties. Professor  Asa  Gray,  the  high  authority  of  whose 
works  will  be  conceded,  makes  a  much  less  number  of  spe- 
cies than  many  other  botanists,  and  I  have  followed  him  in 
the  classification  on  next  page.  I  must  remark,  however, 
that  there  are  several  native  varieties  which  are  found  in 
certain  sections  of  the  country,  which  are  very  puzzling, 
and  one  is  at  loss  as  to  which  of  the  admitted  species  they 
should  be  referred.  These  varieties,  though  growing  in- 
discriminately with  others  about  which  there  is  no  doubt, 
seem  to  preserve  their  identity,  and  it  is  very  difficult  to 
decide  whether  to  call  them  distinct  species  or  marked 
varieties  of  the  species  enumerated  by  Gray.  Practically 

*  Although  this  word  has  not  yet  found  its  way  into  the  dictionaries, 
it  appears  to  be  just  as  applicable  to  the  cultivation  of  the  vine  as 
orchardist,  pomologist,  etc. ,  are  in  other  departments  of  fruit  culture. 
It  has  been  employed  by  several  writers  of  late,  and  was  used  so  long 
ago  as  1853  by  Dr.  Togno  in  a  letter  to  Charles  L.  Fleischman.  See 
American  Polytechnic  Journal,  page  317. 


INTRODUCTORY.  9 

it  is  of  little  consequence  what  view  is  taken  of  these  unu- 
sual forms,  as  the  cultivator  is  interested  in  them  only  as 
varieties,  and  it  is  of  no  particular  moment  to  him  whether 
we  have  one  hundred  or  only  one  native  species,  so  long  as 
there  are  a  sufficient  number  of  varieties  to  suit  all  soils 
and  locations. 

VITIS,     (GRAPE.) 

Calyx  very  short,  usually  with  a  nearly  entire  border  or 
none  at  all,  filled  with  a  fleshy  disk  which  bears  the  petals 
and  stamens:  petals  5,  cohering  at  the  top  (Fig.  1,  A), 
while  they  separate  at  the  base,  the  corolla  usu- 
ally falling  off  without  expanding :  5  thick  glands 
or  lobes  of  the  disk  alternating  with  the  sta- 
mens, between  them  and  the  base  of  the  ovary  : 
flowers  in  a  compound  thyrsus,  dioecious-polyga- 
mous in  all  the  American  species,  exhaling  a  fra- 
grance like  that  of  Mignonette;  leaves  simple,  rounded,  and 
heart-shaped,  often  variously  and  variably  lobed. 

Vitis  Labrusca* — (NORTHERN  Fox  GRAPE.)  Branchlets 
and  young  leaves  very  woolly;  leaves  continuing  rusty- 
woolly  beneath ;  fertile  panicles  compact,  berries  large 
(J  to  f  of  an  inch  in  diameter).  Grows  in  moist  thickets, 
common.  Flowers  in  June.  Berries  ripe  in  September. 
Dark  purple  or  amber  color,  with  a  tough,  musky  pulp. 

Vitis  aestivalis.  —  (SUMMER  GRAPE.)  Young  leaves, 
downy,  with  loose,  cobwebby  hairs  beneath;  smoothish 
when  old,  green  above ;  fertile  panicles  compound,  long 
and  slender ;  berries  small  (^  to  i  inch  in  diameter), 
black,  with  a  bloom.  Thickets,  common ;  climbing  high. 
Flowers  in  May  and  June.  Berries  pleasant ;  ripe  in 
October. 

Vitis  COrdifOlia. — (WINTER  OR  FROST  GRAPE.)  Leaves 
thin,  not  shining,  heart-shaped,  acuminate,  sharply  and 
coarsely  toothed,  often  obscurely  3-lobed;  panicles  com- 

1* 


10  THE    GRAPE    CULTUKIST. 

pound,  large  and  loose;  berries  small  (i  inch  broad),  blue 
or  black,  with,  a  bloom,  very  acerb,  ripening  after  frost. 
Variety,  RIP  ARIA;  with  the  leaves  broader  and  some- 
what incisely  toothed  and  cut-lobed.  Thickets  and  river- 
banks,  common.  May  and  June.  Flowers  very  sweet- 
scented. 

Vitis  Ylllpilia. — (MUSCADINE  OR  SOUTHERN  Fox  GRAPE.) 
Leaves  shining  on  both  sides,  small,  rounded  with  a  heart- 
shaped  base,  very  coarsely  toothed  with  broad  and  bluntish 
teeth,  seldom  lobed ;  panicles  small,  densely  flowered ; 
berries  large  (^  to  f  inch  in  diameter),  musky,  purplish 
without  a  bloom,  ripe  early  in  autumn.  Rivers,  Maryland 
to  Kentucky  and  southward.  May.  Branchlets  minutely 
warty.  Fruit  with  a  thick  and  tough  skin.  A  variety 
yields  the  Scuppernong  Grape. 

The  two  thousand  varieties  of  the  grape  that  are  now 
or  have  been  under  cultivation  in  Europe,  are  supposed 
to  have  originated  from  one  species — namely,  the  Vitis 
vinifera,  and  it  is  not  positively  known  which  one  of  these 
two  thousand  varieties  is  the  original,  although  it  can  be 
proved  that  many  of  them  are  not :  it  is  therefore  impos- 
sible to  give  a  description  of  the  foreign  vine  so  that  it  can 
be  recognized  by  one  not  previously  acquainted  with  the 
general  appearance  of  the  many  varieties  belonging  to  it. 
Language,  however  skillfully  applied,  is  often  inadequate 
to  describe  to  others  our  own  knowledge  or  impres- 
sions. For  instance,  we  may  have  a  friend  whom  we  wish 
to  describe  to  another  so  that  he  shall  be  able  to  know  him 
among  a  thousand ;  but  unless  the  one  described  has  some 
unusual  mark  to  designate  him,  twenty  may  be  found  in 
the  thousand  to  answer  the  description  exactly — at  least 
to  a  stranger.  So  it  is  with  the  foreign  vine ;  to  those 
who  have  become  acquainted  with  both  it  and  the  native 
species,  it  is  an  easy  task  to  distinguish  one  from  the  other, 
no  matter  how  much  each  may  vary ;  but  to  describe  the 
two  so  that  others  may  learn  the  difference  is  not  so  readily 


INTRODUCTORY.  11 

done.  Foreign  varieties  have  leaves  -ranging  through  all 
the  gradations  of  color  known  as  green — so  have  ours ; 
some  approach  the  red — so  do  ours  ;  many  have  a  very 
shining  surface,  and  others  are  downy  or  woolly — so  are 
ours.  The  leaf  of  the  European  grape  also  presents  every 
conceivable  shape,  preserving,  however,  characteristics 
enough  to  be  recognizable  as  belonging  to  the  grape 
genus.  And  we  have  one  species,  the  Labrusca,  the  varie- 
ties of  which  will  match  any  of  them  in  shape.  The  young 
wood  of  many  of  the  foreign  varieties  is  covered  with  a 
grayish-blue  bloom,  said  by  chemists  to  be  wax  :  this  is 
sometimes  considered  a  distinctive  mark  of  the  foreign 
varieties,  but  our  cordifolia  is  abundantly  furnished  with 
it.  We  could  multiply  these  parallel  characters  indefi- 
nitely, but  enough  has  been  said  to  show  how  difficult  it  is 
to  designate  the  species  to  which  a  particular  variety  be- 
longs, especially  if  we  have  words  only  for  our  guidance. 
There  are,  however,  certain  characteristics  so  prominent 
that  they  may  serve  as  a  partial  guide  until  some  freak  of 
nature  admonishes  us  to  lay  them  aside.  1st.  The  skin  of 
our  native  grape  slips  from  the  pulp,  while  that  of  the  for- 
eign varieties  adheres  to  it  like  the  skin  of  the  apple,  and 
those  which  have  a  flashy  pulp  allow  the  seeds  to  drop 
from  it  when  it  is  broken.  The  seeds  of  our  native  grapes 
are  enveloped  and  held  together  by  the  pulp,  more  or 
less  persistent  in  different  varieties;  but  to  observe  this 
the  fruit  of  some  of  the  newer  ones  must  be  examined 
before  they  are  fully  ripe,  for  at  that  time  the  pulp  has  be- 
come so  tender  that  it  is  scarcely  more  than  a  liquid.  The 
tough  pulp  is  a  prominent  characteristic  of  the  Vitis 
Labrusca  and  its  varieties.  2d.  The  bark  of  the  native 
grapes,  particularly  on  the  one-year-old  canes,  parts  very 
readily  from  the  wood;  it  is  also  quite  tough,  and  in 
some  instances  it  may  be  divided  into  small  threads  re- 
sembling hemp,  while  the  bark  on  the  young  wood  of  the 
foreign  vine  usually  adheres  more  firmly,  and  is  also  quite 


THE    GEAPE    CULTURIST. 

brittle.  The  bark  of  the  native  vines,  particularly  the 
northern  species,  is  harder  than  that  of  the  foreign  one, 
and  the  prevailing  colors  are  dark  maroon  or  brown,  vary- 
ing to  light  orange.  Very  few  of  the  cultivated  native 
varieties  have  any  bloom  upon  the  young  wood,  while  that 
of  the  foreign  ones,  when  grown  in  the  open  air,  usually 
has  a  grayish  or  ashen  hue,  and  is  also  more  or  less  sup- 
plied with  a  peculiar  blue  bloom. 

Many  other  peculiarities  might  be  noticed,  but  as  we  do 
not  recommend  foreign  varieties  for  out-door  culture  in 
the  Northern  States,  there  is  no  necessity  of  pursuing  this 
subject  further. 

PROPAGATION   BY  SEED. 

As  the  propagation  of  the  grape  from  seeds  is  the  only 
method  by  which  new  varieties  can  be  produced,  it  is  all 
important  to  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  grape  culture 
in  this  country  that  it  should  receive  the  attention  of  all 
friends  of  progress  in  this  department  of  horticulture. 
Although  great  advance  has  been  made  in  the  last  few 
years,  and  we  now  have  a  few  fine  table  and  wine  grapes, 
yet  we  have  none  that  are  perfect,  o?  but  what  may  be  far 
surpassed,  even  if  only  ordinary  skill  is  applied  to  the 
growing  of  seedlings. 

The  seeds  should  always  be  gathered  from  grapes  that 
are  fully  ripe,  and  from  the  best  varieties  that  can  be 
obtained.  Those  varieties  which  have  any  prominent  de- 
fect, such  as  slow  growth,  thin  small  leaves,  those  that  are 
liable  to  mildew,  vines  that  are  tender,  or  ripen  their  fruit 
very  late,  should  be  avoided,  unless  they  possess  some 
excellent  quality  which  it  would  be  desirable  to  perpetuate, 
and  which  can  not  be  found  in  any  other  variety.  It  must 
not  be  expected  that  good,  strong,  healthy  seedlings  will 
be  grown  every  year,  even  from  the  very  healthiest  native 
variety,  as  the  seeds  of  the  grape  are  not  fully  developed 


INTKODUCTOKY.  13 

every  season,  although  the  grape  itself  may  appear  to  be 
perfect.  I  mention  this,  that  those  who  fail  to  grow  good 
healthy  seedlings  on  the  first  trial  may  not  be  discouraged. 
The  next  season,  with  no  greater  care,  they  may  have  per- 
fect success.  It  must  not  be  expected  that  all  the  seed- 
lings, nor  any  great  portion  of  them,  will  produce  better 
fruit  than  the  parent,  for  although  the  vine  has  a  tendency 
to  improve  upon  its  wild  nature — a  return,  as  it  were,  for 
the  care  and  labor  bestowed  upon  it — yet  after  it  has  taken 
a  few  steps  toward  civilization,  a  large  portion  of  its  off- 
spring show  a  disposition  to  recede  to  their  original  state. 
In  growing  a  thousand  seedlings  from  a  choice  improved 
variety,  if  we  succeed  in  getting  one  even  but  little  better 
than  the  parent,  we  would  be  well  repaid. 

It  is  this  very  uncertainty  that  affords  the  pleasure  and 
the  rarity  of  satisfactory  results  which  gives  value  to  this 
department  of  grape  culture.  Seedling  grapes  are  from 
three  to  ten  years  in  coming  into  bearing — usually  the 
wildest  and  the  most  inferior  varieties  will  grow  the 
strongest,  and  come  into  bearing  first.  In  1862  I  marked 
several  two-year-old  seedlings  that  showed  strong  indi- 
cations of  their  wild  character,  for  the  purpose  of  ascer- 
taining how  near  one  could  judge  of  the  worthlessness  of 
a  seedling  by  its  leaf  and  growth.  This  season  several  of 
those  marked  produced  fruit,  being  only  three  years  old, 
and  every  one  of  them  was  as  worthless  in  fruit  as  they 
were  wild  in  growth,  although  they  were  all  from  improved 
varieties. 

Occasionally  a  seedling  will  be  grown  that  will  never 
produce  fruit;  for  (see  botanical  description)  our  native 
varieties  are  sometimes  dioecious,  that  is, 
one  vine  produces  flowers  having  only  pis- 
tils, and  another  only  stamens.  Fig.  2 
shows  a  grape  flower  (somewhat  magnified) 
after  the  petals  have  fallen.  The  pistil,  c, 
is  in  the  center,  while  the  five  stamens,  B,  Fig-. 2. 


14 


THE    GRAPE    CULTUEIST. 


Fig.  3. 


surround  it.  If  it  should  happen  to  be  the  former  (pistil- 
late), then  the  flowers  may  be  fertilized  from  the  perfect 
flowers  of  another  vine ;  but  should  it  prove  to  be  one  of 
the  latter,  with  staminate  or  male  flowers,  then  it  will  pro- 
duce no  fruit.  Although  we  speak  of  flowers  being  stam- 
inate, yet  we  have  never  seen,  nor  have  we  good  authority 
for  believing,  that  there  are  any  varieties  or  species  that 
are  entirely  wanting  in  the  rudiments  of  a  pistil,  though  it 
may  be  so  deformed  that  its  usefulness  is  destroyed. 

Again,  there  will  occasionally  appear  seedlings 
with  both  perfect  and  imperfect  flowers  on  the 
same  vine  and  in  the  same  cluster  ;  such  vines 
are  called  polygamous.  These  occur  more  fre- 
quently than  the  dioecious;  and  if  imperfect 
flowers  occur,  then  of  course  we  have  very 
imperfect  bunches  of  fruit,  although  this  may  not  always 
be  owing  to  a  deformed  stigma,  but  to  an  insufficient  sup- 
ply of  pollen,  owing  to  deformed  stamens.  The  Taylor 

grape  (white)  and  Oporto 
(black)  are  striking  illus- 
trations of  perfect  and  im- 
perfect flowers  in  the  same 
cluster.  But  the  imperfec- 
tions in  the  flowers  of  these 
seem  to  be  mostly  in  the 
stamens,  they  being  very 
much  deformed  ;  for  when 
the  cap  or  petals  drop  off, 
the  stamens  are  bent  down, 
as  seen,  B,  in  Fig.  3 ;  not 
standing  erect  as  shown  in 
Fig.  2. 

Fig.  4  represents  a  fair 
sample  of  the  bunches  pro- 
duced upon  a  vigorous  six- 
Fig  4i  year-old  vine  of  the  Taylor. 


INTRODUCTORY.  15 

Some  of  the  bunches  contained  more  perfect  berries  than 
the  one  from  which  this  engraving  was  made,  and  others 
with  not  more  than  two  or  three  perfect  ones.  The  small 
undeveloped  berries  are  those  that  were  not  fertilized. 
Other  varieties  of  this  class  show  the  same  phenomenon, 
and  all  that  I  have  examined  exhibit  more  or  less  the  de- 
formed stamens  as  shown  in  Fig.  3.  The  Taylor  and 
Oporto  are  both  pure  native  varieties  and  nearly  related, 
and  belong  to  what  appears  to  be  a  distinct  species,  found 
growing  along  the  Alleghany  range,  from  southern  New 
York  to  Alabama,  and  along  the  banks  of  those  streams 
that  flow  from  these  mountains.  It  probably  is  also  found 
near  the  Rocky  Mountains,  as  several  varieties  lately  re- 
ceived from  Nebraska  and  Kansas  appear  to  belong  to  the 
same  species. 

Some  of  the  individuals  of  this  group  possess  excellent 
qualities,  which,  when  properly  developed,  and  their  defects 
remedied,  will  make  the  most  valuable  wine  grapes  of  the 
country. 


16  THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 


CHAPTER    II. 

GROWING    FROM    SEED. 

GATHER  the  grapes  when  fully  ripe,  and  either  dry  them 
in  the  sun  or  in  a  dry  room,  until  they  appear  like  raisins, 
and  keep  them  in  this  way  until  spring,  or,  when  they  are 
gathered,  the  seeds  may  be  separated  from  the  pulp.  Put 
in  pots  or  boxes  of  pure  sand  or  sandy  loam,  and  set  away 
in  the  cellar  or  bury  in  the  open  ground  until  spring. 
Mice  are  very  fond  of  grapes  and  grape  seeds,  and  they 
should  be  placed  where  these  pests  can  not  reach  them. 
No  matter  whether  the  seeds  are  frozen  or  not,  all  that  is 
requisite  is,  that  they  shall  not  get  too  dry ;  if  they  are 
kept  cool  and  moist,  their  germinating  powers  will  remain 
unimpaired. 

The  soil  for  a  seed  bed  should  be  light,  moderately  dry, 
and  thoroughly  pulverized  to  at  least  two  feet  in  depth. 
If  not  naturally  very  rich,  it  should  be  made  so  by  adding 
a  liberal  quantity  of  old  well-decomposed  manure  from  the 
barnyard,  and  incorporating  it  well  with  the  soil.  The 
whole  success  often  depends  upon  getting  a  good,  strong, 
healthy  growth  the  first  season.  So  soon  in  the  spring  as 
the  weather  will  permit,  sow  the  seeds  in  drills  about  a 
foot  apart,  and  not  too  thickly  in  the  drills — one  or  two 
inches  apart  will  do ;  cover  about  three  quarters  of  an  inch 
deep,  and  give  a  liberal  supply  of  water,  if  the  weather  is 
dry.  When  the  plants  first  appear  above  ground,  they 
should  be  partially  shaded,  to  prevent  their  being  burnt 
off  by  the  sun.  The  shading  may  be  dispensed  with  so 
soon  as  the  second  or  third  leaves  are  formed,  at  which 
time  small  sticks,  say  from  a  quarter  to  one  half  inch  in 


GROWING   FBOM    SEED.  17 

diameter  and  two  feet  long,  should  be  stuck  by  the  side 
of  each  plant ;  every  little  plant  will  throw  out  its  tendrils 
and  attach  itself  to  the  sticks,  and  grow  much  more  rapidly 
than  it  would  if  such  a  support  were  not  given.  The 
stakes,  if  set  thickly  together,  will  afford  a  partial  shade 
to  the  young  plants,  which  is  often  very  beneficial,  espe- 
cially if  the  summer  should  prove  very  warm.  Another 
method  with  which  I  have  succeeded  most  admirably,  is  to 
sow  the  grape  seeds  thinly  in  the  drills  with  apple  seeds ; 
the  apple  seedlings  coming  up  with  those  of  the  grape,  or 
usually  a  little  before,  they  afford  just  sufficient  shade  for 
the  young  vines ;  and  as  the  vine  grows,  they  fasten  them- 
selves to  the  young  trees,  which  serve  in  place  of  stakes. 
A  still  better  plan  would  be  to  sow  the  apple  seeds  in 
drills,  running  east  and  west,  one  foot  apart,  and  the  seeds 
about  one  inch  apart  in  the  drill,  after  which  sow  the  grape 
seeds  on  the  north  side  of  the  drill,  but  close  up  to  them, 
say  within  two  inches  at  least.  I  use  apple  or  pear  seeds 
instead  of  cherry,  peach,  or  similar  kinds,  because  they 
produce  but  very  few  side  roots  the  first  year,  and  conse- 
quently do  not  interfere  with  the  growth  of  the  seedling 
vines.  When  the  plants  have  made  a  few  inches  of  growth, 
a  light  mulch  of  leaves,  hay,  or  moss  may  be  spread  over 
the  entire  surface  of  the  bed ;  this  will  keep  the  roots 
moist  and  prevent  any  sudden  check  to  their  growth.  If 
the  weather  should  prove  dry,  give  an  occasional  water- 
ing— not  a  sprinkling,  but  a  good  soaking ;  once  a  week 
will  be  sufficient.  No  liquid  manure  will  be  needed  if  the 
soil  was  properly  enriched  when  the  bed  was  made ;  but  if 
the  vines  do  not  grow  as  rapidly  as  desired,  then  put  a  few 
shovelfuls  of  good  fresh  barnyard  manure  into  a  barrel 
of  water,  stir  it  well,  let  it  settle,  and  then  draw  off  the 
water  and  apply  it  to  the  plants ;  or,  instead,  a  solution  of 
two  pounds  of  guano  to  a  barrel  of  water  may  be  used 
with  good  effect.  If  there  should  be  signs  of  mildew  on 
the  plants,  a  few  handfuls  of  sulphur,  scattered  over  the 


18  THE    GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

plants  and  bed  will  usually  prevent  its  farther  progress. 
Grape  seedlings  when  well  started,  usually  grow  quite 
rapidly,  often  making  two.  to  four  feet  of  wood  the  first 
season. 

Those  who  have  green-houses  or  hot-beds  may  sow  the 
seeds  in  boxes  or  seed-pans,  and  place  them  in  these 
structures,  so  that  they  may  receive  artificial  heat ;  but 
for  growing  hardy  varieties  the  open  ground  is  preferable, 
as  it  is  more  natural ;  and  the  sickly  seedlings,  of  which 
there  are  always  more  or  less,  will  be  more  likely  to  show 
their  feebleness  in  the  open  ground,  and  can  be  selected 
from  the  vigorous  and  thrown  away,  avoiding  further 
trouble.  When  the  plants  have  made  one  season's  growth, 
and  the  frost  has  killed  their  leaves,  they  should  be  taken 
up,  a  portion  of  the  stem  cut  off,  and  the  long  perpendicu- 
lar root  shortened  at  least  one  half  its  length ;  then  heel 
them  in,  in  some  dry  warm  place  in  the  open  ground.  All 
small  sickly-looking  plants  should  be  thrown  away,  for 
they  will  seldom  make  good  vines  if  they  fail  to  make  a 
good  growth  the  first  season.^  At  the  approach  of  very 
cold  weather,  cover  the  entire  tops  with  soil  or  coarse  lit- 
ter, deep  enough  to  insure  them  against  being  severely 
frozen,  not  that  freezing  would  be  sure  to  kill  them,  but  it 
would  tend  to  impair  their  vitality.  In  the  spring  take 
out  the  plants  and  cut  the  stems  off  to  within  four  inches 
of  their  roots,  then  plant  them  out  in  rows  four  feet  apart, 
and  three  or  four  feet  apart  in  the  rows.  The  ground  for 
their  reception  should  be  made  rich  and  deep,  using  any 
old  well-decomposed  manure  that  may  be  at  hand,  or  old 
sods,  or  muck ;  if  the  latter  is  used,  a  peck  of  ashes  to  the 
square  rod,  or  half  that  quantity  of  lime,  may  be  added 
with  good  effect.  The  whole  soil  should  be  worked  over 
at  least  eighteen  inches  deep,  either  with  the  plow  or 
spade. 

The  roots  of  the  vines  should  be  carefully  spread  out,  so 
that  no  two  will  come  in  contact ;  then  sprinkle  the  soil 


GROWING   FROM    SEED.  19 

among  them,  covering  so  that  the  upper  bud  on  the  four- 
inch  stem  will  be  just  above  ground;  this  will  give  about 
three  inches  of  soil  above  the  upper  tier  of  roots,  which  is 
sufficient  for  young  plants,  and  more  than  this  would  be 
injurious.  After  the  vine  is  planted,  press  the  soil  down 
with  the  foot,  so  that  it  shall  be  firm,  but  not  packed.  A 
good  strong  stake,  say  one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter 
and  six  to  eight  feet  long,  should  now  be  put  down  by  each 
plant  to  tie  it  to  as  it  grows.  Let  but  one  shoot  grow, 
and  pinch  oif  all  side  branches  as  they  appear ;  keep  the 
vine  tied  to  the  stake  so  that  it  shall  not  get  broken  off  by 
the  wind  and  thereby  checked  in  growth,  Keep  the 
ground  clear  of  weeds,  and  stir  the  surface  often  with  the 
hoe  or  rake,  but  never  deep  enough  to  reach  the  roots. 
On  very  loose  and  porous  soils  it  is  better  to  mulch  the 
plants ;  but  if  the  soil  is  a  compact  loam,  or  somewhat 
clayey,  then  it  is  better  to  hoe  often  than  to  mulch,  be- 
cause if  you  cover  up  soils  that  are  naturally  compact,  they 
will  hold  too  much  moisture,  and  sometimes  become  soured 
for  want  of  aeration. 

At  the  end  of  the  season's  growth,  and  just  before  the 
ground  freezes,  the  vines  should  be  pruned,  by  cutting 
them  back  to  within  eight  or  ten  inches  of  the  ground ;  then 
bank  up  the  soil  about  them,  or  bend  them  down  and  then 
cover  them ;  if  covered  with  straw  or  leaves,  there  is  dan- 
ger of  their  being  destroyed  by  mice.  All  that  is  now  re- 
quired is  to  protect  them  slightly  from  the  sudden  changes 
in  winter.  The  following  spring  remove  the  covering  and 
give  the  vines  a  top-dressing  of  manure,  and  work  it  in 
with  the  hoe  during  the  summer.  The  vine  should  be  al- 
lowed to  make  only  a  single  shoot  this  (the  third)  season, 
and  if  healthy  and  vigorous  it  will  make  a  growth  of  ten 
to  fifteen  feet  if  not  checked ;  but  if  allowed  to  grow  un- 
checked, it  would  necessitate  very  long  and  stout  stakes, 
besides  the  trouble  of  keeping  them  tied.  It  is  best  not  to 
allow  them  to  grow  so  long,  but  pinch  off  the  tops  when 


20  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

they  have  grown  five  or  six  feet  high,  and  when  they  start 
again  and  have  grown  a  foot  or  more,  check  them  again ; 
also  pinch  off  the  ends  of  all  the  side  shoots,  or  laterals,  as 
they  are  termed ;  this  concentrates  the  strength  of  the  vine 
and  hastens  its  maturity. 

The  vines  are  now  three  years  .old,  and  we  may  begin 
to  look  for  fruit  next  season,  if  they  have  not  already 
shown  it  upon  some  of  the  strongest.  But  to  be  sure  of 
getting  a  strong  growth  next  season,  we  should  prune  the 
vines  back  to  two  feet,  and  allow  but  two  shoots  to  grow  ; 
and  further,  they  are  more  likely  to  produce  fruit  from  the 
lower  than  the  upper  buds,  particularly  if  cut  back. 

This  cutting  back  may  be  deferred  until  the  last  of  Feb- 
ruary, unless  it  is  desirable  to  cover  the  vines  again,  which 
it  is  not,  unless  the  climate  is  so  severe  that  it  is  not  ex- 
pected they  will  ever  withstand  the  winter.  In  the  vicin- 
ity of  New  York  I  would  not  cover  seedlings  after  the  sec- 
ond season. 

"We  have  now  followed  our  grape  seedlings  until  they 
are  four  years  old  ;  they  should-now  be  kept  pruned  pretty 
short,  say  to  two  or  three  buds  of  the  previous  season's 
growth,  every  season  until  they  have  fruited,  and  then 
select  those  that  promise  well  and  discard  the  others.  If 
cuttings  or  layers  are  taken  from  the  seedlings,  they  will 
often  produce  fruit  before  the  parent  plant.  For  the  man- 
ner of  making  these,  see  chapter  on  propagating  by  layers 
and  cuttings. 


PROPAGATION   BY   SINGLE   BUDS.  21 


CHAPTER    III. 

PROPAGATION  BY  SINGLE  BUDS. 

THE  mode  of  propagating  of  the  grape  from  single  buds 
or  eyes  is  particularly  valuable  when  it  is  desired  to  in- 
crease rare  and  desirable  varieties.  It  is  supposed  to  have 
been  first  suggested  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mitchell,  of  England, 
in  1777,  and  has  been  practiced  sufficiently  to  establish  its 
true  merits — some  of  which  are :  1  st.  A  greater  number 
of  plants  can  be  produced  from  a  given  quantity  of  wood 
than  by  any  other  mode.  2d.  Vines  so  propagated  con- 
tain just  enough  of  the  parent  vine  to  insure  the  perpetu- 
ation of  a  healthy  plant  of  its  kind,  but  not  enough  to 
transmit  disease  to  it  by  its  decay,  as  sometimes  occurs 
when  a  large  amount  of  the  old  wood  is  used.  3d.  As  in 
this  mode  of  propagation  so  small  an  amount  of  wood  is 
used  that  it  admits  of  a  large  number  of  cuttings  being 
started  in  a  small  space,  and  as  the  buds  are  always  forced 
into  growth  by  artificial  heat,  we  may  commence  much 
earlier  in  the  season  than  when  propagating  in  the  open 
air,  thereby  giving  a  much  longer  time  for  increasing, 
prolonging,  and  ripening  their  growth.  This  is  secured 
even  if  they  are  planted  out  in  the  open  ground  so  soon  as 
the  plants  become  well  rooted  and  the  weather  sufficiently 
warm.  4th.  But  the  greatest  benefit  arising  from  this 
mode  of  propagating  is,  that  vaVieties  that  are  very  diffi- 
cult to  increase  by  other  methods  can  be  multiplied  with 
the  greatest  facility  by  this.  In  fact,  no  variety  or  species 
has  yet  been  discovered  that  can  not  be  grown  readily 
with  artificial  heat  from  single  bud  cuttings. 

properly  grown  from  single  buds  are  certainly 


22  THE    GRAPE    CULTUKIST. 

equal  to  those  propagated  by  any  other  mode  ;  but  if  im- 
properly grown,  they  are  of  but  little  value  and  often  en- 
tirely worthless. 

The  buds  used  for  propagating  should  be  large  and  well 
developed,  and  at  no  time  of  their  growth  should  the  plants 
be  allowed  to  receive  a  check,  either  by  being  too  cold  or 
too  hot.  While  it  may  be  necessary  to  keep  up  a  vigor- 
ous growth,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  plants 
may  be  forced  too  rapidly  by  the  use  of  stimulating  ma- 
nures and  by  subjecting  them  to  too  great  heat,  the  result 
of  which  will  be  soft,  spongy,  unripened  wood  and  roots. 
Sometimes  the  roots  will  have  small  tuberous  appendages 
at  their  ends,  which  is  often  caused  by  the  presence  of  too 
much  stimulating  food.  When  vines  are  propagated  from 
single  buds,  and  are  kept  in  pots  during  the  entire  season, 
the  enlargement  of  the  ends  of  the  roots  will  usually  occur 
upon  all  those  that  grow  out  until  they  reach  the  sides  of 
the  pots.  This  does  not  show  disease  nor  overgrowth,  but 
merely  that  the  roots  are  crowded,  and  that  they  need 
more  room.  But  when  these  little  tubers  are  found  on  the 
small  roots  all  through  the  soil,  it  shows  that  they  have 
been  made  unhealthy  by  injudicious  treatment.  The  same 
phenomenon  of  dropsical  roots  is  often  seen  upon  vines 
grown  in  the  open  air,  especially  where  large  quantities  of 
muck  and  fresh  manures  are  used  without  first  being 
thoroughly  decomposed. 

MODE  OF  OPERATION. 

Cut  the  wood  from  the  vines  in  the  fall,  after  the  leaves 
have  fallen,  but  before  it  has  been  severely  frozen,  and  put 
away  in  moist  earth  or  sand  in  the  cellar  or  bury  it  in  the 
open  ground,  where  it  will  be  protected  from  the  frost  and 
can  be  reached  when  wanted.  The  last  of  February  or 
the  first  of  March  is  the  usual  time  in  this  latitude  to  com- 
mence starting  the  buds.  There  is  nothing  gained  by 


PROPAGATION    BY    SINGLE   BUDS.  23 

forcing  the  buds  into  growth  too  early;  better  wait  until 
the  season  arrives  when  they  naturally  begin  to  swell,  as 
they  will  then  grow  more  readily  and  make  more  healthy 
plants  than  if  started  in  the  early  part  of  winter.  At 
this  time  take  out  the  cuttings  and  cut  them  up  into 
pieces  as  represented  in  Fig. 
5  ;  put  these  into  water  as 
they  are  cut ;  this  will  pre- 
vent their  becoming  dry 
while  they  are  being  pre- 
pared ;  and  if  they  are  allowed  to  remain  in  the  water  for 
twenty-four  to  forty-eight  hours,  it  will  do  them  no  harm, 
but  often  be  of  benefit,  especially  to  the  hard-wooded 
varieties,  as  it  softens  the  alburnous  matter  from  which 
the  roots  grow,  and  loosens  the  outer  bark,  and  thereby 
allows  the  roots  to  push  through  it  more  readily,  there 
being  always  more  roots  produced  from  other  parts  of  the 
cutting  than  from  that  part  where  the  cambium  has  been 
exposed  by  the  knife.  It  is  also  a  benefit  to  some  varieties 
that  produce  roots  very  tardily,  to  scrape  oif  a  portion  of 
the  outer  bark  and  the  remains  of  the  old  leaf-stalk  which 
immediately  surround  the  base  of  the  bud,  so  as  to  par- 
tially expose  the  inner  bark. 

When  a  quantity  of  the  buds  are  prepared  they  should 
be  put  into  moderate-sized  pots  (six  or  eight  inch  is  a  con- 
venient size)  filled  to  within  about  an  inch  of  the  top  with 
pure  and  moderately  coarse  sand,  firmly  packed.  Place  the 
cuttings,  with  the  buds  up,  about  an  inch  apart  all  over  the 
surface;  press  them  down  firmly  with  the  thumb  and 
finger ;  sift  on  sufficient  sand  to  cover  the  upper  point  of 
the  bud  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  deep,  then  press  it  all 
down  evenly,  using  the  bottom  of  another  pot  for  the  pur- 
pose, after  which  apply  water  enough  to  just  moisten  the 
whole  contents  of  the  pot. 

Sand  taken  from  the  banks  of  fresh-water  ponds  or  run- 
ning streams  is  the  best  for  propagating  purposes,  as  it  is 


24-  THE   GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

nearly  free  from  impurities.  That  taken  from  common 
sand  banks  often  contains  oxide  of  iron  and  other  foreign 
matters  to  an  extent  that  renders  useless  all  attempts  to 
grow  anything  in  it.  When  pure  sand  can  not  be  ob- 
tained, the  other  can  be  made  to  answer  by  exposing  it  to 
the  action  of  the  air  and  rains  for  a  few  months,  or  by 
washing  it  thoroughly  before  using. 

After  the  pots  have  been  filled  with  cuttings,  they 
should  be  placed  in  a  temperature  between  40°  and  50°, 
and  allowed  to  remain  from  two  to  three  weeks,  water- 
ing just  enough  to  keep  them  moist,  but  not  wet.  As 
roots  are  formed  at  a  much  lower  degree  of  tempera- 
ture, and  less  rapidly  than  leaves,  we  are  thus  enabled  to 
cause  the  process  of  rooting  to  begin  (which  is  very 
essential)  before  we  place  them  in  a  position  to  commence 
growth ;  and  when  this  does  start,  the  roots,  being  formed 
or  in  process  of  formation,  will  then  issue  with  such  rapid- 
ity that  they  will  be  capable  of  absorbing  food  to  supply 
the  new  growth  as  soon  as  it  has  consumed  that  food 
which  was  laid  up  in  the  bud  the  previous  season. 

After  removing  the  pots  from  their  first  position,  place 
them  in  the  frames,  which  should  be  partially  filled  with 
sand  and  located  over  the  flues  or  hot- water  pipes,  plung- 
ing them  at  least  one  half  their  depth  in  the  sand ;  give  them 
bottom  heat  of  60°  for  the  first  few  days,  then  gradually 
raise  it  to  80°  ;  keep  the  frames  partly  open,  and  the  tem- 
perature of  the  atmosphere  in  them  ten  degrees  lower,  if 
possible,  than  that  of  the  sand  under  them,  bearing  in 
mind  that  we  wish  to  excite  the  roots  to  grow  before  the 
leaves.  When  the  buds  begin  to  push,  allow  the  tempera- 
ture to  increase  to  90°  or  95°,  close  the  frames  and  keep 
the  atmosphere  moist  by  frequent  waterings;  a  liberal 
application  once  a  day  will  usually  be  sufficient.  Pure  rain 
water  is  best,  and  should  always  be  of  the  temperature  of 
the  air  in  the  house,  or  nearly  so.  Cold  water  would 
surely  check  the  growth  of  the  plants.  Examine  the  young 


PROPAGATION    BY    SINGLE   BUDS.  25 

growth  every  day  to  see  that  it  does  not  commence  rotting 
or  damping  off,  as  it  is  called ;  should  there  be  signs  of 
this,  give  a  little  more  air ;  but  be  careful  of  cold  currents 
from  the  outside,  as  these  are  often  fatal  to  the  young 
plants.  Also  avoid  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  either  by 
whitewashing  the  glass,  or  nailing  up  strips  of  white  mus- 
lin or  paper  to  the  rafters  of  the  house. 

When  the  plants  have  made  a  growth  of  two  or  three 
inches,  they  should  be  shifted  into  two-and-one-half  to 
three-inch  pots,  putting  one  plant  into  each. 

Up  to  this  time  no  material  has  been  used  which  con- 
tained any  appreciable  amount  of  plant  food,  nor  has  it 
been  needed,  for  the  growth  of  roots  and  leaves  has  been 
produced  from  the  food  stored  in  the  bud  and  the  wood 
attached,  and  what  little  they  may  have  obtained  from  the 
water  and  sand.  The  plants  are  now  in  condition  to  use 
more  substantial  food,  consequently  the  soil  in  which  they 
are  to  be  potted  may  be  composed  of  rotted  sods,  taken 
from  an  old  pasture,  mixed  with  one  half  its  .bulk  of  old, 
well-decomposed  barnyard  manure,  or  instead  of  sods  use 
muck,  or  leaf  mold  from  the  woods.  These  should  be 
mixed  together  at  least  six  months  before  using ;  add  one 
eighth  to  one  quarter  sand,  and  turn  all  over  until  it  is 
thoroughly  incorporated,  then  sift  it  all  through  a  coarse 
sieve  before  using.  Having  put  a  quantity  of  the  soil  upon 
the  potting  bench,  which  should  be  in  the  propagating 
house,  and  provided  a  quantity  of  broken  pots  or  bricks 
for  drainage,  take  the  pots  containing  the  plants  from  the 
frames,  lay  them  on  their  side  and  give  them  a  sudden  jar 
with  the  hand,  so  as  to  loosen  the  sand  around  them,  then 
draw  out  a  plant  carefully  and  hold  it  in  one  hand  while 
with  the  other  you  place  a  small  piece  of  the  drainage 
material  into  the  small  pot,  cover  it  with  soil,  then  put  in 
the  plant,  allowing  the  roots  to  spread  out  naturally ;  fill 
in  soil  around  them  until  the  pots  are  full,  without  covering 
the  roots  where  they  join  the  stem  more  than  half  an  inch 

2 


26  THE    GRAPE    CULTURTST. 

deep  ;  press  the  soil  down  firmly,  but  not  so  hard  as  to 
break  the  roots.  When  the  plants  are  potted,  place  them 
again  in  the  frames,  give  them  water  to  settle  the  soil 
about  their  roots,  and  keep  the  air  somewhat  confined  for 
a  few  days  until  they  have  become  well  established  in  the 
soil,  when  a  little  more  air  may  be  given  them.  Keep  the 
temperature  at  85°  to  95°  during  the  day  and  70°  to  80° 
at  night.  When  the  plants  have  made  four  to  six  inches 
of  stem,  they  may  be  taken  out  of  the  frames  and  placed 
in  another  house  which,  if  they  are  to  remain  under  glass 
during  the  season,  should  have  been  made  ready  for  their 
reception. 

Some  propagators  do  not  use  frames  within  the  house  at 
all,  but  depend  entirely  upon  keeping  the  air  moist  and 
hot  as  well  as  sufficiently  confined  by  the  ordinary  methods 
of  heating  and  ventilating  the  house.  While  an  experi- 
enced propagator  will  usually  succeed  in  this  way,  for 
those  who  have  not  had  experience  in  propagating,  the 
frames  are  much  safer,  and  are  enough  better  to  pay  the 
extra  cost  even  for  the  use  of  the  most  skillful. 

When  the  plants  are  first  potted  in  the  small  pots  they 
will  require  so  much  more  room  than  before,  that  it  will 
often  be  found  inconvenient  to  furnish  frames  enough  to 
hold  them ;  in  such  cases  they  may  be  set  upon  shelves  in 
the  open  house,  and  they  will  do  well  in  such  a  position  if 
care  is  given  in  keeping  the  atmosphere  within  the  house 
moist  and  warm,  as  well  as  in  shading  the  plants  and  avoid- 
ing direct  currents  of  cold  air  from  the  outside  through 
doors  or  when  ventilating  the  house. 

To  get  good,  large,  and  strong  plants,  they  will  require 
re-potting  at  least  three  times  during  the  summer.  At 
each  change  the  pots  used  should  be  increased  in  size 
about  two  inches.  The  same  compost  may  be  used  for 
each  re-potting,  and  the  ball  of  earth  around  the  roots 
should  not  be  broken,  neither  should  the  plants  be  placed 
more  than  a  half  inch  deeper  than  before.  The  proper 


PROPAGATION    BY    SINGLE   BUDS.  27 

time  for  re-potting  is  when  the  roots  have  reached  the 
sides  of  the  pot  and  become  crowded.  The  fresh  soil  put 
around  the  roots  should  be  pressed  in  firmly,  to  make  it  of 
the  same  "density  as  the  ball  of  earth  containing  them.  The 
plants  should  always  be  kept  tied  to  stakes,  and  the  ends 
of  side  shoots  pinched  off,  not  allowing  more  than  two 
additional  leaves  to  remain  on  them  at  any  one  time.  The 
plants  should  also  be  allowed  plenty  of  room,  so  that  their 
leaves  may  fully  expand,  and  receive  plenty  of  light  and 
air.  If  this  is  not  attended  to,  they  will  grow  tall  and 
slender,  and  often  fail  to  ripen  their  wood ;  besides,  they 
will  be  very  likely  to  be  attacked  by  mildew.  The  plants 
should  receive  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  from  the  time 
they  are  firmly  established  in  the  small  pots. 

To  hasten  the  ripening  of  the  plants,  toward  autumn 
pinch  off  the  top  and  lower  the  temperature  by  giving 
them  more  air.  A  little  close  observation  during  the 
growth  of  the  plants  will  enable  the  propagator  to  judge 
of  their  wants  and  the  proper  amount  of  water,  heat,  etc., 
they  require.  Sometimes  it  will  be  necessary  to  give 
them  a  little  liquid  manure,  but  this  will  seldom  be  re- 
quired if  the  compost  in  which  they  are  grown  is  properly 
made  and  the  plants  allowed  good-sized  pots. 

PLANTING  IN  BEDS. 

To  avoid  the  expense  of  a  sufficient  number  of  pots  of 
the  various  sizes  required  for  re-potting  a  large  number  of 
plants  several  times  during  the  season,  cheap  glass  struc- 
tures, without  artificial  heat,  may  be  erected,  and  the  soil 
in  them  made  rich,  into  which  the  plants  may  be  put 
directly  after  they  have  become  well  rooted  in  the  small 
pots  in  which  they  are  placed  at  the  first  potting.  These 
beds  may  be  made  with  the  natural  soil  in  the  house,  or 
they  may  be  made  of  strong  plank  frames,  deep  enough  to 
hold  a  foot  of  soil,  and  elevated  some  two  feet  from  the 


28  THE    GKAPE    CULTUKIST. 

ground ;  in  this  manner  the  roots  receive  more  heat  than 
when  planted  in  the  natural  soil.  The  same  care  will  be 
required,  the  same  watering,  staking,  etc.,  as  if  they  were 
in  pots.  Plants  of  superior  quality  may  be  grown  in  this 
manner  with  much  less  expense  and  trouble  than  attends 
those  that  are  grown  in  pots  through  the  season. 

SINGLE  BUDS  IN  OPEN  AIR. 

This  is  another,  and  cheaper  mode  than  the  two  preced- 
ing methods,  as  the  expense  is  but  trifling  after  the  plants 
leave  the  propagating  house.  But  when  vines  are  to  be 
grown  in  this  manner,  they  should  not  be  started  too 
early,  for  the  weather  must  have  become  warm  and  settled 
before  they  can  be  planted  out. 

The  method  is  as  follows :  when  the  vines  have  been 
re-potted  into  the  small  pots,  and  are  well  rooted,  they  are 
turned  out  and  planted  in  beds  previously  prepared,  in 
the  following  manner :  First  make  the  soil  rich  and  deep, 
and  have  it  thoroughly  pulverized  and  raked  level  and 
smooth ;  then  lay  it  off  into  beds  three  feet  wide,  and  the 
required  length ;  drive  down  strong  stakes  along  the  sides, 
to  which  nail  boards  to  the  height  of  three  feet  or  more, 
then  across  the  top  nail  a  few  strips  to  keep  all  firm. 
Stretch  oiled  or  plain  muslin  over  the  top,  for  shading  the 
plant  when  first  set  out.  When  all  is  ready,  take  the 
plants  from  the  house  and  turn  them  out  of  the  pots  (be- 
ing careful  not  to  break  the  ball  of  earth  as  it  is  slipped 
from  the  pots),  and  plant  them  about  afoot  apart  each  way 
in  the  beds.  Now  water  them  and  place  the  muslin  over 
them,  when  the  sun  shines,  for  at  least  one  week;  by, this 
time  they  will  have  begun  to  extend  their  roots  into  the 
fresh  soil,  and  the  covering  may  now  be  removed,  but  the 
boards  at  the  sides  should  remain  all  summer  as  a  protec- 
tion against  wind  and  severe  driving  rains.  Water  the 
plants  as  often  as  needed ;  cover  the  soil  with  two  or  three 


PROPAGATION    BY    SINGLE   BUDS.  29 

inches  of  mulch ;  clean  straw,  hay,  or  leaves  are  good,  and 
perhaps  the  best  for  this  purpose.  Keep  the  plants  tied  to 
stakes,  etc.,  as  already  directed.  It  is  no  unusual  thing 
for  plants,  grown  in  this  manner,  to  reach  the  height  of 
six  feet  the  first  season,  and  they  are  usually  more  stocky 
than  when  grown  all  the  season  under  glass. 

It  is  best  not  to  start  all  the  plants  in  the  propagating 
house  at  one  time,  as  in  that  case  they  will  all  be  ready  to 
be  re-potted  or  planted  out  the  same  time ;  but  they  should 
be  started  at  different  periods,  say  a  week  or  ten  days 
apart,  making  two  or  three  lots,  especially  if  there  is  a 
large  quantity  to  be  grown.  Then  the  different  stages  of 
growth  will  enable  the  propagator  to  attend  to  each  lot  as 
its  growth  requires,  and  at  the  proper  time.  When  the 
plants  are  planted  out  in  the  open  ground,  as  I  have  just 
described,  the  material  used  for  shading  the  first  lot  may 
also  be  used  for  the  second,  and  so  on,  instead  of  being 
compelled  to  purchase  enough  to  cover  all  at  one  time. 
The  boards  for  protection  are  sometimes  omitted,  as  well 
as  the  shading,  and  in  some  protected  situations  they  may 
not  be  needed.  There  is  also  a  great  difference  in  the 
strength  of  the  leaves  in  the  different  varieties,  some  being 
capable  of  withstanding  sun  and  strong  currents  of  wind 
much  better  than  others ;  yet  I  believe  all  will  grow 
enough  better  to  pay  for  the  expense  of  protection. 

STARTING  IN  HOT-BEDS. 

The  main  object  in  making  a  hot-bed  is  to  produce  art- 
ificial heat,  and  to  have  this  heat  continue  uniformly  for 
several  weeks.  For  this  purpose  various  materials  are 
used,  such  as  tan-bark,  leaves,  hops  that  have  been  used 
by  the  brewers,  etc. ;  in  fact,  almost  any  fibrous  material 
may  be  used  that  will  continue  to  ferment  a  sufficient  time 
to  produce  the  amount  of  heat  necessary  to  cause  seeds  and 
cuttings  to  grow,  and  keep  the  soil  and  atmosphere  within 


30  THE    GRAPE   CULTUEIST. 

the  bed  from  twenty  to  forty  degrees  above  the  freezing 
point,  even  if  the  atmosphere  without  is  far  below.  Be- 
sides the  materials  for  producing  this  heat,  we  must  have 
a  structure  called  hot-bed  frames,  in  which  we  may 
control  it  when  generated.  These  are  made  of  planks  of 
any  required  size,  with  a  sloping  top  covered  with  sash. 
They  may  be  of  any  length  or  breadth,  but  they  are  usually 
four  to  six  feet  wide,  and  of  any  convenient  length. 

The  sashes  are  made  without  cross  bars,  and  of  a  length 
sufficient  to  cover  the  frames  crosswise.  If  the  frames  are 
six  feet  wide,  then  the  sashes  may  be  six  feet  long  and  four 
feet  wide ;  but  if  the  frames  are  but  four  feet  wide,  the  sash 
may  be  three  by  four;  these  are  convenient  sizes.  The 
size  of  the  glass  is  immaterial,  but  six-by-eight  and  eight- 
by-ten  are  sizes  commonly  used.  As  there  are  no  cross-bars 
to  the  sash,  each  pane  of  glass  is  made  to  overlap  the  one 
below  it  from  one  fourth  to  one  half  an  inch,  like  the 
shingles  on  a  house.  The  more  the  glass  overlaps,  the 
more  liable  it  is  to  be  broken  by  the  freezing  of  the  water 
which  will  always  accumulate,  more  or  less,  between  the 
panes.  The  glass  should  be  bedded  in  soft  putty,  and 
fastened  with  tin,  the  sash  well  painted ;  but  put  no  putty 
upon  the  upper  side  of  the  glass ;  if  anything  is  needed  to 
stop  the  joints  between  the  edges  of  the  glass  and  sash, 
apply  thick  paint.  If  the  glass  is  well  bedded  in  putty, 
nothing  more  than  painting  the  upper  side  will  be  required, 
and  they  are  far  better  without  the  putty  than  with  it. 

The  hot-bed  may  be,  as  we  have  said,  composed  of  vari- 
ous materials,  but  in  any  case  they  should  be  prepared 
some  time  before  they  are  wanted  for  use.  When  leaves 
are  used  they  should  be  obtained  in  the  fall,  and  placed 
where  they  can  be  turned  over  several  times  during  the 
winter,  and  a  proper  degree  of  moisture  retained ;  tan-bark 
should  be  treated  in  the  same  way.  Hops  may  often  be 
obtained  from  the  breweries  in  a  state  of  fermentation,  and 
then  all  that  is  required  is  to  immediately  put  them  into  a 


PROPAGATION    BY    SINGLE   BUDS.  31 

proper  shape,  and  place  the  frames  over  them.  But  the 
above-named  articles  are  comparatively  little  used,  horse 
manure  being  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  any  other  material 
for  the  purpose,  especially  when  a  small  quantity  of  leaves 
is  mixed  with  it.  It  is  not  necessary  to  describe  the 
mode  of  preparing  hot-beds  with  other  materials,  as  the 
process  is  similar  with  each.  The  manure  should  be  taken 
as  fresh  from  the  stable  as  possible,  thrown  into  heaps  to 
ferment,  and  worked  over  several  times  ;  all  large,  coarse 
lumps  should  be  broken  into  pieces,  and  if  it  becomes  dry, 
add  water  to  keep  it  from  becoming  burnt  and  musty. 
This  working  over  is  to  cause  the  fermentation  to  act  upon 
all  parts,  and  to  give  it  an  even  texture  throughout.  If 
leaves  can  be  had,  they  should  be  mixed  with  the  manure 
when  it  is  being  worked  over.  One  fourth  to  one  half  the 
quantity  may  be  of  leaves. 

If  the  ground  is  quite  dry  upon  which  the  hot-bed  is 
to  be  made  (and  such  a  situation  is  always  preferable  to 
one  that  is  wet),  make  an  excavation  one  foot  deep  and 
one  foot  larger  than  your  hot-bed  frame ;  then  spread 
in  the  manure  and  leaves  in  a  layer  about  six  inches 
thick,  and  beat  it  down  evenly  with  the  fork,  then  put 
on  another  layer  and  strike  it  down  in  the  same  way, 
and  so  on  until  you  have  at  least  two  feet  in  depth ;  three 
feet  would  be  still  better.  By  spreading  the  manure 
in  layers,  and  pressing  each  down  separately,  a  more  uni- 
form degree  of  texture  will  be  obtained,  and  consequently 
a  more  even  temperature  will  be  had  throughout  the  bed. 
Bank  up  on  the  outside  even  with  the  top  of  the  frame, 
writh  the  fermenting  manure,  so  as  to  assist  in  keeping  out 
cold  air,  as  well  as  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  heat  which 
is  generated  within. 

Fig.  6  shows  a  hot-bed  of  four  sashes  when  completed. 

When  all  is  neatly  finished,  put  on  the  frames,  close  the 
sash,  and  keep  all  tight.  If  it  is  cold  weather,  cover  the 
sash  at  night,  and  in  cloudy  weather  also,  with  straw  mats 


32  THE    GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

or  board  shutters,  so  as  to  allow  as  little  heat  to  escape  as 
possible.  So  soon  as  the  bed  has  become  warm  and  the 
steam  begins  to  rise,  which  will  usually  be  in  four  to  six 


Fig.  6. 

days,  cover  the  whole  surface  ot  tne  manure  within  the 
frames  with  fine  soil  to  the  depth  of  four  inches,  and  so 
soon  as  this  is  warmed  through,  the  bed  is  ready  for  use. 

The  pots  containing  the  buds — which  should  have  been 
prepared  several  days  or  even  weeks  previous,  and  have 
been  kept  in  the  cellar  or  some  convenient  place  away  from 
frost — may  now  be  plunged  into  the  soil,  nearly  or  quite 
down  to  the  manure.  The  buds  or  cuttings,  as  they  are 
called,  should  be  made  in  the  same  manner  and  potted  in 
the  sand,  as  recommended  for  the  propagating  house. 

Our  main  object  now  is  the  same  as  before  ;  that  is,  by 
the  assistance  of  bottom  heat  to  excite  the  roots  into 
growth  before  the  leaves ;  therefore,  before  the  leaves 
start,  admit  as  much  air  as  possible  without  cooling  the 
soil  or  causing  a  too  great  waste  of  heat.  "  Head  cool, 
but  feet  warm,"  is  applicable  here,  for  the  first  week  or 


PROPAGATION    BY    SINGLE   BUDS.  33 

two ;  but  so  soon  as  the  buds  push  above  ground,  then 
the  air  should  be  kept  more  confined,  to  prevent  a  too 
great  evaporation  from  the  leaves  as  they  expand.  The 
same  care  in  regard  to  watering  should  be  given  as  when 
grown  in  the  propagating  house ;  also  shade  the  young 
plants  in  a  similar  manner.  We  do  not  want  to  exclude 
light  so  much  as  we  do  to  avoid  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun 
while  the  leaves  are  small  and  the  plants  are  forming  roots. 
Give  the  plants  air  by  lifting  one  end  of  the  sash  a  few 
inches  whenever  the  weather  is  fine,  and  the  thermometer 
goes  above  90°  or  95°.  The  atmosphere  should  be  con- 
stantly humid,  but  do  not-  so  saturate  the  soil  as  to  cause 
the  plants  to  rot  or  mildew ;  also  avoid  sudden  changes 
from  extreme  heat  to  cold,  for  a  change  of  30°  to  40°  will 
most  surely  give  a  check  to  the  growth,  and  this  is  almost 
certain  to  be  followed  by  disease.  So  soon  as  the  plants 
have  rooted,  pot  them  off  into  two  or  three  inch  pots  and 
place  them  again  in  the  frames. 

If  the  weather  has  become  quite  warm,  they  may  be 
placed  in  frames  where  there  is  no  bottom  heat.  The  prop- 
agator must  be  his  own  judge  in  this  matter,  only  bear 
in  mind  that  a  heat  of  70°  to  80°  must  be  maintained  to 
insjure  success ;  and  if  this  can  be  had  without  bottom 
heat,  then  the  latter  will  not  be  necessary. 

The  plants  may  be  kept  in  these  pots  until  they  are  well 
filled  with  roots,  then  they  may  be  planted  in  the  open 
ground  as  before  directed.  Some  of  the  hardy  grapes, 
such  as  Concord,  Hartford  Prolific,  etc.,  have  such  a  thick 
and  enduring  leaf  that  it  is  not  positively  necessary  to  erect 
frames  to  protect  them  when  first  planted  out,  yet  even 
these  will  be  benefited  by  so  doing. 

When  the  soil  in  which  the  young  vines  are  planted  is 
thoroughly  prepared,  they  will  require  but  little  care  dur- 
ing the  summer,  except  to  keep  down  weeds,  and  even 
this  will  not  be  needed  if  they  receive  a  liberal  mulch. 
But  it  will  sometimes  be  necessary  to  water  the  vines  in 

2* 


84:  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

locations  where  drouths  occur,  and  there  are  but  few  sec- 
tions entirely  exempt;  therefore  it  is  expedient  to  be 
always  ready  for  such  an  event,  by  saving  an  abundant 
supply  of  rain  water  if  possible,  and  where  this  can  not  be 
done,  let  there  be  casks  or  cisterns  made  in  which  well  or 
spring  water  may  be  placed  to  become  warm  by  the  time 
it  may  be  wanted. 

FORM  OF  SINGLE-BUD  CUTTING. 

Thus  far  I  have  mentioned  but  one  form  of  making  one- 
eye  cuttings,  yet  the  shape  may  be  varied  to  suit  the  fancy 
of  the  propagator,  so  long  as  a  sufficient  amount — but  not 
too  much  wood — is  left  adhering  to  the  bud.  Fig.  7  shows 

one  style ;  in  this  the  wood 
is  cut  oif  about  three  quar- 
ters of  an  inch  above  and 
below  the  bud,  and  the  wood 
on  the  side  opposite  the  bud 

is  cut  away  deep  enough  to  expose  the  pith  the  whole  length 
of  the  cutting ;  the  cutting  is  then  placed  in  the  sand 
with  the  bud  upon  the  upper  side,  pressing  it  down  hori- 
zontally, as  it  is  shown  in  the  cut.  The  advantage  claimed 
for  cutting  away  the  wood  is,  that  it  exposes  to  the  soil  a 
greater  surface  of  alburnous  matter  (or,  strictly  speaking, 
the  cambium)  from  which  the  roots  are  produced. 

If  the  roots  from  vine  cuttings  were  dependent  upon  the 
exposed  cambium,  as  with  some  other  plants,  then  the  su- 
periority claimed  might  be  conceded  ;  but  such  is  not  the 
case,  as  a  greater  part  are  produced  from  around  the  base 
of  the  bud,  or  pushed  through  the  bark  from  other  points 
on  the  surface  of  the  cutting. 

In  Fig.  8  the  cutting  is  made  square  across,  close  at  the 
base,  or  just  under  the  bud,  leaving  about  an  inch  and  a 
half  of  wood  above  it.  It  is  placed  in  the  pots  at  the  an- 
gle shown,  the  dotted  lines  indicating  the  surface  of  the 


PROPAGATION    BY    SINGLE   BUDS.  35 

sand  above  the  bud.  The  advantage  of  this  form,  if  any,  is 
that  it  exposes  the  cambium  to  the  soil  at  a  point  where  it 
is  to  be  found  in  the 
greatestabundance,  i. 
e.,  at  or  near  the  base 
of  a  bud. 

Fig.  9  is  another 
form  of  making  the 
cutting  so  as  to  ex- 
pose as  large  an 
amount  of  cambium 
to  the  soil  as  possi-  Fig'  8> 

ble;  and  further,  to  have  a  portion  of  the  cutting  go 
deeper  into  the  soil  than  in  the  other  forms,  thereby  avoid- 
ing suffering  for 
want  of  moisture,  if, 
by  accident  or  neg- 
lect, the  soil  in  the 
pot  should  become 
dry  near  the  surface, 
which  would  destroy 
the  cutting  if  made 
in  the  other  forms. 

The  cutting  is 
placed  in  the  pots  in 
a  sloping  position;  Fig. 9. 

the  dotted  line  above  the  bud  represents  the  surface  of  the 
sand.  The  only  objection  to  this  shape  is,  that  being  made 
thin  at  the  lower  end,  it  is  more  likely  to  become  water- 
soaked  and  decay  than  if  left  with  more  substance.  It  is, 
however,  a  good  form,  and  has  some  advantages  over  sev- 
eral of  the  others.  There  is  not  only  a  great  diversity  of 
opinion  in  regard  to  the  shape  of  the  cutting,  but  also  the 
best  material  in  which  to  grow  them.  Some  successful  prop- 
agators use  leaf-mold  from  the  woods,  others  loam,  charcoal 
and  loam,  burnt  clay,  etc.,  etc.,  but  none  of  the  materials 


36  THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

have  the  least  advantage  over  pure  sand,  in  which  to  start 
the  cuttings,  and  a  majority  of  propagators,  if  I  do  not  mis- 
take, use  pure  sand  in  which  to  place  the  cuttings  until 
they  form  roots.  It  is  not  only  the  safest  material  for  the 
inexperienced  propagator,  but  it  is  all  that  is  required  by 
cuttings  in  the  way  of  soil,  until  they  are  in  a  condition  to 
absorb  food  through  their  roots.  Sometimes  it  is  well  to 
place  a  little  rich  soil  in  the  pots — an  inch  or  so  below  the 
cuttings — so  that  when  the  roots  reach  that  depth  they  will 
find  nutriment  to  sustain  growth ;  in  this  case  the  re-pot- 
ting may  be  deferred  longer  than  would  be  safe  without 
such  a  precaution.  This  is  often  done  by  those  who  ex- 
pect to  have  more  work  on  hand  than  they  can  attend  to 
at  the  proper  time.  Circumstances  will  sometimes  occur 
when  it  is  not  convenient  to  start  the  cuttings  in  pots ;  if 
so,  they  may  be  put  into  shallow  boxes  or  directly  into  the 
frames,  but  when  this  is  done,  the  plank  used  in  making 
the  boxes  or  frames  should  be  new  ;  if  not,  they  should  be 
coated  on  the  inside  with  ordinary  water  cement,  mixed 
thin,  and  laid  on  with  a  brush,  or  covered  with  slate. 
Planks  that  have  been  used  one  season  will  usually  have  be- 
gun to  decay,  and  this  rotting  is  often  the  source  of  a  fun- 
gus that  will  spread  rapidly  through  the  damp,  warm 
sand,  and  this  is  very  likely  to  kill  every  young  root  with 
which  it  comes  in  contact.  I  have  known  many  a  thou- 
sand cuttings  to  be  destroyed  by  fungi,  while  the  propa- 
gator was  searching  for  a  cause  in  another  direction. 


CUTTINGS    OF    UNRIPE    WOOD.  37 


CHAPTER    IV. 

CUTTINGS  OF  UNRIPE  WOOD. 

ALTHOUGH  the  grape  vine  may  be  readily  propagated 
by  cuttings  taken  from  the  vine  while  in  active  growth, 
circumstances  seldom  occur  when  it  is  judicious  to  do  so. 
Unless  more  than  ordinary  care  is  bestowed  upon  the 
young  vines  throughout  the  entire  season,  they  will  not 
only  be  feeble,  but  often  so  diseased  that  they  never  be- 
come strong  and  healthy,  though  at  first  they  may  give 
promise  of  being  so. 

Thousands  of  vines  are  annually  produced  from  green 
cuttings,  but  it  is  questionable  whether  the  country  would 
not  be  better  off,  on  the  whole,  without  such  vines  than 
with  them. 

That  good,  strong,  and  healthy  vines  are  sometimes 
produced  from  green  cuttings,  I  admit,  but  also  assert  that 
the  great  majority  are  worthless.  The  facility  with  which 
vines  may  be  multiplied  in  this  way  is  a  great  inducement, 
to  those  who  are  disseminating  the  new  and  rare  varieties, 
to  use  it.  It  requires  no  more  skill  than  propagating  from 
single  buds ;  all  that  is  requisite  is  to  have  a  propagating 
house  (or  even  a  hot-bed  will  do),  where  a  steady  and  uni- 
form high  degree  of  heat  can  be  maintained. 

The  mode  of  operation  is  as  follows :  Place  the  vines, 
from  which  you  desire  to  propagate,  in  pots,  or  plant  them  in 
the  ground  within  the  propagating  house,  and  make  the  soil 
in  which  they  are  planted  very  rich,  so  that  they  shall  not 
want  for  food.  When  the  vines  have  made  a  new  growth 
of  a  foot  or  so,  take  off  the  young  shoots,  or  a  portion  of 
each ;  do  not  cut  back  all  the  shoots  at  one  time,  as  this 


38 


THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 


might  too  severely  check  the  growth  of  the  vine,  but  three 
quarters  of  the  number  may  be  cut  back,  or  entirely  re- 
moved, without  doing  any  injury. 

The  young  shoots  that  have  been  selected  for  cuttings 
should  be  divided  into  pieces  of  two  buds  each,  cutting 
them  off  just  below  a  bud ;  the  leaf  adjoining  the  lower 
bud  should  be  removed,  but  the  upper  one  must  be  left 
entire.  Fig.  10  shows  the  appearance  of  the  cutting  when 

ready  for  planting ;  a 
shows  the  surface  of  the 
soil  when  placed  in  the 
pots.  Plant  these  cuttings 
in  six  or  eight  inch  pots 
filled  with  sand,  putting 
several  cuttings  in  each, 
but  not  crowding  them ; 
press  the  sand  down  firmly 
around  the  cutting,  leaving 
only  the  upper  leaf  and  bud 
uncovered,  and  then  put 
the  pots  within  the  frames, 
Fig* 10<  in  the  same  manner  as  de- 

scribed for  single  eyes.  To  prevent  rapid  exhalation  from 
the  leaves,  the  atmosphere  in  the  frames  should  be  kept  a 
little  more  confined  than  for  ripe  wood  cuttings.  Venti- 
late the  frames  but  little  until  roots  are  produced.  Keep 
the  heat  from  80°  to  90°,  and  see  that  there  is  plenty  of 
moisture,  but  not  so  much  as  to  rot  the  cuttings  or  cause 
them  to  mildew.  Ventilation  will  usually  check  the  mil- 
dew, and  withholding  water  prevent  rotting. 

In  from  two  to  four  weeks,  if  successful,  the  cuttings 
will  be  sufficiently  rooted  to  be  separated  and  put  into 
small  pots.  An  occasional  examination  of  the  cuttings  will 
enable  the  propagator  to  determine  the  proper  time  to  do 
this.  When  the  roots  are  two  inches  in  length,  they 
should  be  removed  from  the  large  pots  and  placed  in  three- 


CUTTINGS    OF    UNEIPE    WOOD.  39 

inch  pots,  filled  with  the  same  rich  compost  recommended 
for  other  cuttings,  except  that  the  soil  is  mixed  with  sand 
enough  to  constitute  one  half  its  bulk. 

After  being  potted  they  should  be  again  placed,  for  a 
few  days,  in  the  close  frames,  until  they  have  recovered 
from  the  check  received  in  potting.  The  plants  may  now 
be  treated  the  same  as  the  single-eye  cuttings,  except,  if 
you  wish  to  produce  good  plants,  it  wih1  be  necessary  to 
keep  them  under  glass  the  whole  season,  as  the  wood  will 
usually  fail  to  ripen  fuUy  in  the  open  air. 

When  but  few  plants  are  to  be  grown,  or  there  is  no 
lack  of  room,  they  may  be  started  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  Take  an  eight-inch  pot  and  put  some  broken  pieces 
of  pots  or  coarse  gravel  in  the  bottom  for  drainage,  then 
set  a  four  or  five  inch  pot  within  it — the  hole  in  the  bottom 
of  the  smaller  pot  being  stopped  tight;  fill  the  open 
space  between  the  pots  with  sand,  in  which  insert  one  row 
of  cuttings,  an  inch  and  a  half  or  two  inches  apart,  letting 
the  base  of  each  cutting  touch  the  inner  pot,  which  is  to  be 
filled  with  water ;  enough  of  this  will  percolate  through 
the  pot  (if  it  is  of  the  ordinary  kind)  to  keep  the  sand  suf- 
ficiently moist.  This  is  a  safe  mode,  and  will  often  be 
successful  when  all  others  fail.  The  pots  are  to  be  kept 
within  the  frames  until  the  cuttings  are  rooted,  the  same 
as  before.  Fig.  1 1  shows  the  arrangement  of  the  pots ; 
/»  />  /  are  the  cuttings  ;  c,  c, 
sand  between  the  pots ;  c?, 
water  in  inside  pot;  #,  clay 
with  which  the  hole  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  pot  is  closed ;  5, 
drainage  in  the  outside  pot. 

The  wood  of  which  the  cut- 
tings are  made  must  not  be  too 
young  or  too  old,  but  must  be 
taken  just  at  the  proper  time,  Fig.  11. 

that  is,  when  it  begins  to  show  a  slight  firmness,  but  is  not 


4:0  THE    GRAPE   CULTUEIST. 

really  hard  nor  fully  formed.  If  the  growth  of  wood  is 
very  rapid,  it  is  well  to  check  it  by  pinching  off  the  end 
of  the  shoot  a  day  or  two  before  it  is  wanted  for  use. 
After  one  set  of  cuttings  has  been  taken  off,  another  set 
will  soon  push  out ;  these  are  to  be  removed  when  three  or 
four  inches  long,  cutting  them  close  up  to  the  main  stem, 
BO  as  to  preserve  a  portion  of  the  enlarged  part  at  the 
junction ;  also  cut  off  an  inch  or  so  of  the  small  end  of 
the  shoots ;  these  will  usually  grow  more  readily  than  those 
taken  at  first. 

The  young  growing  wood  from  vines  in  the  open  air 
may  be  used,  but  it  does  not  strike  root  so  readily,  or 
make  as  good  plants  as  that  from  vines  grown  under  glass. 
All  the  varieties  of  the  grape  may  be  grown  from  green 
cuttings,  but  some  root  more  readily  than  others,  and  there 
will  also  be  a  great  difference  in  growth  of  the  plants,  some 
starting  vigorously  and  continuing  so  through  the  season, 
while  others  under  the  same  treatment  will  be  but  poor 
feeble  plants  at  the  best. 


PKOPAGATINXJ   HOUSE.  41 


CHAPTER   Y. 

PROPAGATING    HOUSE. 

PERFECTION  should  be  our  aim  in  every  department  of 
horticulture,  and  especially  in  the  cultivation  of  the  grape, 
and  while  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  every  vine  will  be 
made  to  appear  as  regular  and  systematic  as  represented 
in  engravings,  still  that  is  the  point  to  be  aimed  at,  and 
though  we  may  fail  with  some,  it  is  possible  to  very  nearly 
reach  it  with  all.  So  it  is  in  constructing  propagating 
houses.  It  is  not  expected  that  every  one  will  have  the 
means  at  command,  nor  would  it  always  be  expedient  if 
they  had,  to  go  to  the  expense  of  building  an  extensive 
propagating  house,  unless  it  were  desirable  to  produce  a 
large  number  of  vines,  and  for  a  number  of  years  in  suc- 
cession. The  size  of  the  house  will  depend  entirely  upon 
the  number  of  vines  to  be  grown.  If  only  a  few  thousand 
are  to  be  produced,  then  only  a  small  structure  will  be 
required ;  for  the  best  vines,  or  the  best  results,  are  not 
always  produced  in  the  most  expensive  houses.  Many  a 
careful  propagator  annually  produces  his  few  thousand  of 
superior  vines  with  only  a  small  lean-to  house,  heated  with 
a  common  brick  furnace  and  flue,  and  these  perhaps  of  his 
own  make.  And  while  this  same  propagator  might  tell 
you  that  he  would  prefer,  as  a  matter  of  convenience,  a 
propagating  house  with  all  the  modern  improvements,  still 
he  would  scarcely  admit  that  the  plants  produced  in  his 
small,  cheap  way  were  any  more  liable  to  disease,  or  in 
any  way  inferior  to  those  grown  in  the  most  elegant  and 
expensive  house. 


4-2 


THE   GRAPE   CULTDEIST. 


PROPAGATING    HOUSE.  43 

Fig.  12  gives  an  interior  perspective  view  of  a  section 
of  a  first-class  propagating  house.  It  may  be  made  of 
almost  any  length  or  width  that  is  desired,  but  eighteen 
to  twenty-five  feet  is  the  usual  width  for  a  span  roof, 

The  sides  of  the  house  may  be  of  brick  or  stone,  or  of 
two  thicknesses  of  plank,  one  nailed  on  each  side  of  good 
strong  posts  set  firmly  in  the  ground,  and  ?he  space  be- 
tween filled  with  tan-bark  or  sawdust.  The  common 
cement  and  gravel  wall,  such  as  is  used  in  some  parts  of 
the  country,  will  answer  the  purpose  as  well  as  any  other, 
and  in  many  places  w^ould  be  most  economical.  The  wall 
should  be  low,  seldom  above  two  and  a  half  feet,  on  the  top 
of  which  put  a  two-foot  sash,  which  will  make  the  eaves 
of  the  house  four  and  one  half  feet  from  the  ground.  Bank 
up  the  wall  on  the  outside,  and  cover  the  embankment  with 
sods.  The  glass  should  be  of  the  best  quality  of  plate  or 
sheet.  '  This  is  preferable  to  cheaper  kinds.  Embed  with 
putty  and  fasten  with  tin,  but  put  no  putty  on  the  outside 
— use  nothing  but  thick,  pure  white  lead  paint.  The  size 
of  glass  is  immaterial,  but  if  the  best  and  heaviest  is  used, 
then  the  panes  may  be  of  any  size,  from  8  X  10  up  to  10  X 1 6. 
The  engraving  shows  the  interior  arrangement  very  mi- 
nutely, except  the  posts  which  will  be  necessary  for  sup- 
porting the  roof.  The  house  stands  its  longest  way  north 
and  south  ;  the  southern  end  is  of  glass,  which  may  reach 
to  the  ground  or  stop  at  the  height  of  the  frames.  At  the 
north  end  is  the  furnace  room,  where  also  the  potting 
bench,  pots,  etc.,  may  be  kept.  The  best  and  most  eco- 
nomical mode  of  heating  a  large  house  is  by  means  of  hot 
water.  For  this  purpose  there  are  several  kinds  of  boilers 
in  market,  many  of  which  are  very  good. 

The  hot-water  pipes  should  lie  side  by  side  instead  of 
one  over  the  other  as  they  are  usually  placed  in  ordinary 
green-houses.  The  flow-pipe  passes  under  one  of  the  side 
frames,  thence  through  and  back  under  the  middle  one, 
and  then  under  the  frame  on  the  opposite  side.  The  return 

Y 


44  THE   GRAPE   CULTUKIST. 

pipe  passes  back  along  by  its  side,  both  lying  on  iron  rests, 
made  for  the  purpose.  This  arrangement  gives  eight  pipes 
the  whole  length  of  the  house,  besides  the  elbows  and  the 
few  feet  that  it  takes  to  cross  the  end.  The  center  frame 
has  four  pipes  under  it,  while  the  side  frames  have  but  two. 

The  center  frame  may  be  used  for  starting  those  varie- 
ties that  are  the  most  difficult  to  strike,  or  the  pipes  may 
only  pass  under  the  two  outside  frames,  and  the  center  one 
be  used  for  the  plants  when  they  are  first  placed  in  the 
small  pots — or  the  pipes  may  pass  under  the  center  frame 
and  return  under  the  outside  ones  without  returning  as 
shown. 

If  the  house  is  twenty  or  more  feet  in  width,  then  for 
convenience  the  center  frame  should  be  double  the  width 
of  the  outside  ones,  and  in  that  case  the  four  pipes  will  be 
needed  under  it  to  keep  its  temperature  equal  to  the.  others. 
Again,  in  place  of  frames  through  the  center,  a  table  may 
take  its  place,  on  which  to  set  the  plants  after  they  become 
sufficiently  rooted  not  to  need  so  much  heat  or  so  confined 
an  atmosphere  as  while  young. 

The  inside  frames  are  only  necessary  while  the  cuttings 
are  rooting,  and  for  a  few  days  after  the  first  shift,  but 
they  are  indispensable  when  a  number  of  varieties  are  to 
be  grown,  for  the  air  can  not  be  kept  sufficiently  confined 
in  a  large  house  to  insure  success  with  all.  To  be  sure, 
there  are  varieties  that  will  grow  from  single-bud  cuttings 
without  recourse  to  frames,  but  writh  such  as  the  Delaware, 
•which  seldom  shows  any  roots  until  the  young  shoots 
appear,  it  becomes  a  very  difficult  matter  to  prevent  a  too 
rapid  evaporation  from  the  young  leaves  in  the  open  house. 
If  this  takes  place,  of  course  the  cutting  dies,  for,  until  the 
roots  are  produced,  the  young  growth  is  supported  entirely 
upon  the  alburnous  matter  contained  in  the  cutting. 

The  frames  are  ventilated  by  raising  one  end  of  the  sash, 
as  shown.  They  should  be  made  one  foot  deep,  and  of 
good,  sound  plank.  The  pipes  must  be  entirely  shut  in  so 


PROPAGATING    HOUSE.  45 

that  the  greatest  heat  in  the  house  will  be  under  the  frames ; 
but  there  should  be  small  doors  placed  along  the  entire 
length,  opening  into  the  passage  ways,  which  may  be  opened 
to  let  the  heat  escape  into  the  house  when  necessary  to 
raise  its  temperature,  or  to  lower  that  under  the  frames. 
The  passage  ways  between  the  beds  should  not  be  less 
than  two  and  one  half  feet  wide,  and  three  feet  is  better. 
The  frames  should  not  be  over  four  feet  wide,  as  it  would 
then  be  inconvenient  to  reach  across  them.  A  house  eight- 
een feet  wide  will  allow  of  three  rows  of  frames,  and  two 
passage  ways  of  three  feet  each  ;  or  the  outside  frames 
may  be  but  three  feet  wide,  and  the  center  one,  as  it  can 
be  reached  from  both  sides,  may  be  six  feet. 

The  places  for  ventilating  the  house  may  also  be  arranged 
to  suit  the  convenience  or  fancy,  but  they  should  be  mainly 
at  the  top.  •  The  sashes  should  be  made  in  two  sections — 
the  upper  one  much  shorter  than  the  lower,  and  arranged  so 
that  it  can  slide  down  over  the  other,  and  leave  an  opening 
at  the  peak,  as  shown.  Two  of  the  sashes  on  the  right-hand 
side  and  one  on  the  left  are  shown  as  open.  If  small  roll- 
ers are  put  in  these  upper  sashes,  they  can  be  moved  very 
easily.  Sometimes  the  sashes  are  made  very  short,  not  more 
than  three  feet  long,  and  then  hung  so  that  they  will  nearly 
balance  ;  in  this  way  they  are  easily  managed  by  attaching 
a  small  rope  to  one  end.  The  short  perpendicular  sashes  at 
the  sides  of  the  house  may  be  made  so  that  they  can  be 
opened ;  but  this  will  seldom  be  necessary,  for  if  the  upper 
ones  are  opened  the  heat  will  pass  off  rapidly,  and  sufficient 
fresh  air  will  find  its  way  into  the  house  through  the  small 
openings,  of  which  there  will  always  be  more  or  less. 
There  are  hundreds  of  methods  of  ventilating  glass  struc- 
tures ;  the  object  of  all  is  the  same,  but  these  I  have  men- 
tioned are  the  most  simple  and  will  answer  every  purpose. 

The  slope  of  the  roof  should  be  at  an  angle  of  from  35 
to  45  degrees ;  the  one  shown  in  the  engraving  is  at  an 
angle  of  35  degrees,  or  very  nearly. 


THE   GRAPE   CULTUBIST. 


PROPAGATING    HOUSE.  47 


A   SINGLE-ROOFED  HOUSE. 

The  single  roof  or  lean-to  houses  are  usually  preferred 
by  propagators  in  the  more  northern  States,  as  they  are 
less  exposed  to  cold,  being  often  built  against  a  side-hill  or 
some  building ;  where  such  a  protection  is  not  convenient, 
then  a  wall  is  built  running  east  and  west,  or  nearly  so, 
and  the  roof  is  placed  against  this,  sloping  to  the  south. 

Fig.  13  shows  a  lean-to  house,  with  interior  arrange- 
ments similar  to  that  of  the  span-roofed  house.  The  fur- 
nace and  general  store-room  is  built  against  the  north  side, 
instead  of  at  the  end.  This  not  only  affords  a  protection  to 
the  wall,  but  gives  a  good-sized  room  for  storing  the  com- 
post, sand,  etc.  Four  hot-water  pipes  pass  the  whole 
length  of  the  house,  as  shown.  The  boiler  and  furnace  are 
set  in  the  room  back  of  the  wall,  and  the  pipes  pass  through 
it  into  the  house.  The  chimney  may  be  built  in  the  wall 
or  be  carried  up  by  its  side.  When  brick  or  tile  are  used 
for  flues,  then  a  brick  furnace  is  made  in  the  wall,  the 
greater  part  of  it  within  the  house ;  but  the  door  should 
open  outside,  so  that  when  opened  the  gas  from  the  tire 
may  escape  into  the  furnace  room.  The  furnace  should  be 
placed  so  low  that  the  flue  may  gradually  rise  from  it  to 
the  point  where  it  connects  with  the  chimney,  and  still  not 
come  too  near  the  bottom  of  the  cutting  frames.  If  the 
furnace  is  placed  with  its  top  level  with  the  surface  of  the 
ground  within  the  house,  and  the  flue  be  made  to  rise  one 
foot,  rather  abruptly,  as  it  leaves  the  furnace,  it  may  then 
be  carried  fifty  feet  with  not  more  than  six  inches  rise, 
and  stih1  it  will  have  sufficient  draft.  If  the  house  is  fifty 
feet  long,  the  flue  should  pass  under  the  frames  at  the 
front,  and  return  under  those  at  the  back,  the  chimney 
being  near  the  furnace. 

The  point  where  it  enters  the  chimney  should  be  at  least 
eighteen  inches  above  the  top  of  the  furnace.  Of  course, 


48  THE    GRAPE   CULTCRIST. 

the  more  it  rises,  the  more  rapidly  the  smoke  and  heat  will 
pass.  The  size  of  the  furnace  will  depend  upon  the  size 
of  the  house,  and  also  whether  coal  or  wood  is  used. 

TO   MAKE  THE  FLUES. 

Lay  a  row  of  bricks  flat  and  crosswise,  where  the  flue  is 
desired ;  on  the  ends  of  these  place  two  others  on  their 
edges,  and  across  the  top  lay  a  row  flat  in  the  same 
way  as  the  bottom  ones  were  placed.  This  gives  the 
dimensions  of  the  flue  four  inches  by  eight  in  the  clear. 
But  a  larger  flue  is  better,  say  six  by  eight  inches,  for  a 
house  of  fifty  or  more  feet  in  length,  and  it  is  also  better 
to  cover  the  top  of  the  flues  with  the  ordinary  inch  tile,  as 
the  heat  passes  through  these  more  readily  than  through 
brick.  No  correct  estimate  of  the  cost  of  building  a  prop- 
agating house,  of  either  of  the  styles  named,  can  be  given, 
because  the  price  of  the  materials  entering  into  their  con- 
struction is  continually  changing. 


CUTTINGS    IN    OPEN    AIE.  4:9 


CHAPTER    YI. 

CUTTINGS    IN    OPEN    AIR. 

SUCCESS  in  growing  cuttings  in  the  open  air  is  often  de- 
pendent upon  the  proper  selection  and  preparation  of  the 
cutting-bed.  The  soil  may  be  loam,  sandy  loam,  or  fine 
muck,  with  an  admixture  of  sand — the  latter  is  one  of  the 
best,  provided  it  is  not  too  wet.  Any  soil  that  is  retentive 
of  moisture,  but  not  really  wet  or  swampy,  will  answer  the 
purpose. 

A  soil  at  least  eighteen  inches  deep  is  one  of  the  requi- 
sites of  a  good  cutting-bed. 

If  the  soil  is  naturally  heavy  and  compact,  a  liberal 
quantity  of  sand,  charcoal,  or  fibrous  muck  should  be 
applied  to  lighten  it,  else  it  will  become  too  hard  and  dry 
in  summer,  and  the  cuttings  will  suffer  in  consequence.  A 
rich  soil  is  also  indispensable,  for  it  is  necessary  that  the 
cuttings  should  make  a  vigorous  growth,  that  they  may 
ripen  a  large  portion  of  their  wood  and  roots  early  in  the 
season.  This  they  can  not  do  without  a  proper  supply  of* 
food.  But  no  fresh  unfermented  manure  should  be  mixed 
with  the  soil,  though  it  may  sometimes  be  admissible  upon 
the  surface,  after  the  cuttings  are  planted. 

If  the  soil  is  not  naturally  rich,  a  liberal  quantity  (say 
enough  to  cover  the  entire  surface  four  to  six  inches  deep) 
of  old,  well-rotted  barnyard  manure,  or  a  compost  made 
of  manure  and  sods,  muck,  leaves,  or  some  similar  mate- 
rials, may  be  thoroughly  mixed  with  the  soil  to  the  depth 
of  one  foot  or  more. 

The  cuttings  will  usually  produce  roots  from  the  lower 
end  first,  therefore  it  is  necessary  that  a  portion  of  the 

3 


50  THE   GRAPE    CULTUEIST. 

enriching  materials  should  be  placed  as  deep  in  the  soil  as 
the  roots  will  extend.  An  application  of  a  peck  of  ashes 
to  the  square  rod  will  often  be  found  very  beneficial.  It 
is  always  best  to  prepare  the  cutting-bed  in  the  fall,  so 
that  all  the  materials  of  which  it  is  composed  may  become 
intermingled  by  spring. 

TIME  TO  MAKE   CUTTINGS. 

In  this  latitude  the  fall  of  the  year,  soon  after  the  leaves 
have  fallen,  is  the  best  time  to  take  cuttings  from  the  vine, 
but  where  the  winters  are  mild  they  may  remain  on  the 
vine  until  mid- winter,  or  even  later,  without  injury. 

When  taken  from  the  vine,  the  wood  may  be  cut  into 
the  required  length,  or,  in  other  words,  the  cuttings  may 
be  made  and  put  away  in  moist  soil  in  the  cellar,  or  buried 
in  some  dry  place  in  the  open  ground,  or  the  wood  may  be 
put  away  entire,  and  the  making  of  the  cuttings  deferred 
until  spring. 

SELECTION   OF   CUTTINGS. 

Cuttings  should  be  made  of  the  past  season's  growth — • 
that  is,  shoots  that  have  been  produced  during  the  summer 
are  to  be  taken  for  cuttings  in  the  fall.  These  are  called 
cuttings  of  one-year-old  wood.  That  which  is  strong  and 
vigorous  and  well-ripened  is  the  best,  although  the  very 
largest  does  not  always  make  the  best  cuttings,  nor  does 
it  root  so  readily  as  that  which  is  of  medium  size.  All 
soft,  spongy,  and  unripened  wood  should  be  discarded,  as 
good  plants  are  produced  only  from  good,  healthy  wood. 

FORM  OF   CUTTING. 

There  is  as  great  a  variety  of  opinion  among  cultivators 
in  regard  to  making  long  cuttings  as  there  is  respecting 
the  form  of  those  of  a  single  bud.  They  are  made  of  van- 


CUTTINGS    IN    OPEN    AIR. 


5t 


ous  lengths,  from  four  inches  to  two  feet.  I  much  prefer 
a  short  cutting  to  a  long  one.  A  cutting  of  six  or  eight 
inches  in  length,  when  properly  planted,  will  make  as  good 
if  not  a  better  plant  than  one  of  twice  that  length. 

The  following  is  the  method  that  I 
practice,  believing  it  to  be  the  best. 
About  the  last  of  November,  or  the  first 
of  December,  I  select  the  wood  for  cut-  NN 
tings,  and  with  a  pair  of  garden  shears 
cut  it  up  into  lengths  of  about  six  inches, 
leaving  not  less  than  two  buds  upon  the 
cutting.  If  the  wood  is  very  short-joint- 
ed, a  cutting  of  this  length  will  have 
three  or  four  buds  upon  it ;  if  so  they  are 
all  the  better,  as  roots  usually  start  from 
each  bud,  but  are  seldom  emitted  the  first 
season,  in  cuttings  grown  in  the  open 
ground,  from  the  stem  between  the  buds. 

With  a  sharp  knife  smooth  off  the 
wood  close  up  to  the  base  of  the  lower 
bud,  and  cut  off"  the  top  end  about  an 
inch  above  the  bud,  at  an  inclination  as 
shown  in  Fig.  14,  which  gives  the  form 
of  a  two-bud  cutting. 

A  three-bud  cutting  is  the  same,  with 
an  additional  bud  between  the  two. 

When  the  cuttings  are  all  prepared, 
they  should  be  put  away  in  the  ground 
where  they  will  not  be  frozen  or  become 
too  wet.  I  usually  set  them  thickly  in  a 
shallow  trench,  then  cover  them  up,  leav- 
ing the  top  bud  just  above  ground,  after 
which  cover  all  up  with  straw  to  keep 
out  the  frost.  So  soon  as  the  ground  is 
settled  in  spring,  fork  over  the  cutting- 
bed,  rake  it  level  and  smooth,  then  draw  Fig.  14. 


02  THE    GRAPE    CL'LTURIST. 

a  line  across  it,  place  the  back  of  the  spade  to  the  line  and 
throw  out  the  soil,  leaving  a  trench  nearly  perpendicular 
at  the  side  next  to  the  line,  and  a  little  deeper  than  the 
cutting  is  long ;  then  set  the  cuttings  upright  in  this 
trench,  unless  they  are  more  than  six  inches  long — if  so, 
incline  them — placing  them  about  three  or  four  inches 
apart,  and  so  deep  that  the  upper  bud  will  be  one  inch 
below  the  surface  of  the  soil.  Fig.  15  shows  the  position 


Fig.  15. 

of  cuttings  in  the  trench  before  being  filled.  When  the 
row  is  filled  with  cuttings,  put  in  about  two  inches  of  soil, 
and  press  it  down  firmly  around  the  base  of  the  cutting ; 
then  fill  up  the  trench  evenly,  just  covering  the  upper  bud, 
bat  do  not  bury  it  too  deeply.  This  will  leave  a  shallow 
basin  of  an  inch  in  depth  the  whole  length  of  the  row — the 
dotted-  lines  in  Fig.  14,  above  the  upper  bud,  show  the 
form  in  which  this  basin  should  be  left.  The  rows  of  cut- 
tings should  be  about  two  feet  apart ;  the  soil  between  the 
rows  will  be  about  two  inches  higher  in  the  middle  than 
at  the  rows.  The  time  required  for  the  cuttings  to  strike 
root  and  push  into  growth  will  vary  considerably.  If  there 
is  much  rain  and  the  weather  is  warm,  then  they  will  start 
quite  early ;  but  if  the  weather  is  cool,  they  will  often  re- 
main comparatively  dormant  until  June,  and  even  later 
than  this,  and  then  start  and  make  a  good  growth  by  fall. 
The  upper  buds  should  be  carefully  preserved  from  injury, 
because  it  is  from  these  that  the  shoots  are  usually  pro- 
duced. When  the  cuttings  have  made  a  grow  h  of  four 


CUTTINGS   IN   OPEN   AIK. 


53 


Fig.  16. 


54  THE    GKAPE   CULTUKIST. 

or  five  inches,  the  ground  should  be  leveled  so  that  the 
upper  buds  on  the  cuttings  will  be  covered  an  inch  or 
more ;  then,  if  two  inches  of  mulch  are  spread  over  the 
ground  between  the  rows,  it  will  keep  it  moist  and  pro- 
mote the  rooting  of  the  cuttings. 

Roots  from  the  lower  bud  will  usually  be  produced 
first,  but  soon  after  the  base  of  the  shoot  is  covered,  a 
set  of  roots  will  issue  from  near  it,  which  will  assist  the 
growth. 

If  the  cuttings  make  a  good  growth — four  to  six  feet* is 
not  uncommon  ;  they  should  be  tied  to  stakes,  as  this  will 
promote  the  ripening  of  the  wood.  Fig.  16  is  a  fair  rep- 
resentation of  a  two-eye  cutting  at  the  end  of  the  first 
year.  In  this  sketch  the  roots  and  top  are  necessarily 
shown  much  shorter,  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  the  cut- 
ting, than  they  were  on  the  plant  from  which  the  drawing 
was  made,  and  the  small  rootlets  cover  all  the  roots,  while 
they  are  here  represented  on  only  a  part.  When  roots 
have  these  small  appendages  attached  to  them  in  abund- 
ance they  are  called  fibrous-rooted. 

All  vines  when  grown  in  congenial  soil  will  have  more 
or  less  fibrous  roots,  for  it  is  through  these  that  the  plant 
derives  a  large  portion  of  its  food  from  the  soil.  They  are 
often  as  minute  as  those  shown  in  Fig.  16,  and  they  are 
soon  destroyed  if  exposed  to  the  air. 

When  cuttings  are  grown  in  the  above  manner  they  are 
readily  changed  into  one-eye  cuttings  by  severing  the 
stem  just  under  the  upper  tier  of  roots;  this  will  give  as 
good  a  one-eye  plant  as  though  it  was  grown  under  glass 
and  from  a  single  eye.  Fig.  1 7  shows  the  plant  after  the 
lower  section  of  the  roots  have  been  removed. 

Growing  plants  in  this  way  involves  a  waste  of  buds, 
and,  moreover,  cuttings  are  not  so  certain  in  the  open  air 
as  in  the  propagating  house. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  make  some  varieties  grow  from 
cuttings  in  the  open  air,  while  others  do  so  readily.  Some 


CUTTINGS    IN   OPEN    AIR.  55 

kinds  require  more  moisture  than  others,  and  if  planted  in 
a  situation  where  they  will  receive  an  abundant  supply 
throughout  the  season,  they  will  often  produce  as  strong 


Fig.  17. 

plants  as  the  others  will  in  ordinary  soil.  It  is  also  some- 
times advisable,  with  those  kinds  that  do  not  strike  root 
readily,  to  plant  the  cuttings  in  the  fall  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  we  have  described  for  two-eye  cuttings,  then  cover 
the  bed  with  straw,  so  that  it  shall  not  freeze.  In  the 
spring  remove  the  straw,  leaving  enough  on  the  bed  to 
keep  it  moist. 


56 


THE    GRAPE   CTJLTTJRIST. 


Where  the  soil  used  for  the  cutting-bed  is  naturally  dry 
and  porous,  any  or  all  the  varieties  may  be  planted  in  the 
fall,  provided  they  are  protected  from 
frost  during  the  winter. 

That  there  are  certain  varieties  of  the 
grape  that  grow  more  readily  from  cut- 
tings than  others,  in  the  open  air  as  well 
as  under  glass,  is  well  known  to  every 
vineyardist.  But  a  variety  that  is  very 
difficult  to  propagate  by  cuttings  in  the 
open  air  in  one  section  of  the  country 
may  grow  readily  in  another.  Climate 
has  much  to  do  in  this  matter,  and 
while  I  do  not  wish  to  convey  the  idea 
that  there  are  certain  circumscribed 
spots  where  a  particular  kind  will  grow 
from  cuttings  when  it  will  not  do  so 
elsewhere,  I  wish  to  remark  that  the 
same  skill  that  would  produce  a  good 
plant  of  some  varieties  in  Missouri 
might  fail  to  produce  one  in  New 
York.  Knowing  this  to  be  the  fact, 
we  are  enabled  to  account  for  the  di- 
versity of  opinion  often  expressed  by 
different  cultivators  coming  from  widely 
separated  sections  of  the  country,  for 
each  speaks  of  his  own  experience  or 
observation  in  his  own  particular  local- 
ity ;  and  while  each  may  state  the  truth, 
their  stories  will  not  agree,  and  one 
may  exactly  contradict  another. 


Tig.  18. 


MALLET  CUTTINGS. 

The  mallet  cutting  is  usually  made 
by  selecting  only  the  lower  portion  of 


CUTTINGS    IN    OPEN    AIE.  5T 

the  one-year-old  cane,  and  by  cutting  through  the  two-year- 
old  wood,  leaving  a  small  piece  of  it  attached,  so  that  the 
whole  resembles  a  small  mallet.  Fig.  18  shows  the  form 
of  the  mallet  cutting.  The  advantage  derived  from  the 
presence  of  the  piece  of  old  wood  is  not,  as  is  sometimes 
stated,  because  roots  are  more  readily  produced  from  it, 
but  because  there  are  several  buds  at  the  point  of  junction 
of  the  old  and  young  wood,  and,  consequently,  a  larger 
deposit  of  cambium  than  where  there  is  but  a  single  bud. 
The  piece  of  old  wood  assists  in  protecting  these  buds 
until  roots  are  produced. 

The  number  of  cuttings  that  can  be  obtained  from  a  vine 
is  necessarily  but  few,  as  only  one  is  made  from  each  cane, 
and  it  will  depend  very  much  upon  the  mode  of  training 
whether  it  will  do  to  cut  away  the  old  wood  for  this  pur- 
pose. The  cuttings  should  not  be  made  more  than  ten  or 
twelve  inches  long  ;  they  are  sometimes  made  much  longer, 
but  it  is  unnecessary,  as  too  much  wood  will  often  prove 
injurious. 

There  are  some  varieties  of  grapes,  for  instance  the 
Delaware  and  Norton's  Virginia,  that  grow  much  more 
readily  from  mallet  cuttings  than  from  the  ordinary  two 
or  three-bud  cuttings.  Sometimes  the  laterals  that  have 
been  allowed  to  grow  unchecked,  and  have  produced  canes 
of  considerable  size,  are  used,  leaving  a  piece  of  the  main 
cane  attached  to  form  the  mallet. 

The  mallet  cutting  is  perhaps  the  most  ancient  form  of 
cutting.  The  Romans  made  their  cuttings  in  this  manner, 
and  they  were  called  malleolus,  from  the  Latin  malleus ; 
hence  our  word  mallet.  The  French  vineyardists  still 
adhere  to  this  form  of  cutting,  and  with  them  they  are 
called  crosetts. 

There  are  some  vineyardists  in  this  country  who,  to  ex- 
tend their  vineyards,  depend  almost  entirely  upon  the  few 
cuttings  of  this  form  which  they  are  able  to  get  from  their 
vines,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  excellent  vines  may 

3* 


58  THE    GKAPE    CULTURIST. 

be  grown  from,  such  cuttings ;  but  it  is  equally  true,  that 
other  portions  of  the  vine  will,  with  proper  care  (though 
not  always  quite  as  readily),  make  vines  equally  as  good. 

It  matters  little  what  form  of  cutting  is  adopted,  nor 
does  any  particular  portion  of  the  wood  possess  any  supe- 
riority over  another,  provided  it  is  thoroughly  ripe  and 
healthy.  The  requisites  are:  to  keep  its  vitality  unim- 
paired from  the  time  it  is  taken  from  the  vine  until  it  is 
planted,  then  give  the  cuttings  a  position  where  they  will 
secure  plenty  of  heat  and  moisture  with  a  full  supply  of 
nutriment  to  sustain  them  when  they  begin  growth. 


LAYERING    THE    VINE.  59 


CHAPTEK    VII. 

LAYERING  THE  VINE. 

THE  propagation  of  the  vine  by  layers  is  one  of  the  most 
certain  and  convenient  methods  in  use ;  and  while  the 
number  of  plants  to  be  obtained  from  a  given  quantity  of 
wood  is  not  so  great  as  in  the  other  methods,  yet  the  size 
of  a  one-year-old  plant  produced  by  layering  will  far  ex- 
ceed that  produced  in  any  other  way. 

A  layer  is  a  cutting  which  is  left  attached  to  the  parent 
plant,  and  derives  nourishment  therefrom  until  it  has  pro- 
duced separate  roots  of  its  own.  Much  discussion  has 
taken  place  upon  this  subject  among  cultivators  of  the 
grape,  some  asserting  that  in  the  first  stages  of  the 
growth  of  the  layered  plant  it  was  entirely  dependent  upon 
the  parent  for  its  food ;  consequently  the  roots  that  are 
produced  later  in  the  season  from  the  layer  itself  do  not 
fully  ripen,  and  are  of  but  little  value  to  the  young  plant 
when  separated  from  the  parent.  For  more  than  two 
thousand  years  layers  have  been  recommended  and  con- 
demned by  different  authors,  and  all  have  some  plausibility 
in  their  arguments.  But  the  facts  are  that,  when  property 
grown,  layers  make  as  vigorous  and  healthy  plants  as  are 
produced  in  any  manner. 

When  vines  are  to  be  grown  expressly  for  layers,  they 
should  be  planted  six  or  eight  feet  apart,  in  very  rich  soil, 
as  the  object  will  be  to  get  a  large  growth  of  wood  with- 
out regard  to  fruit. 

The  vines  when  planted  should  be  cut  down  to  the 
ground,  or  within  a  few  inches  of  it,  and  only  one  cane  be 
allowed  to  grow  the  first  season,  and  this  must  be  kept 


60  THE   GKAPE    CULTURIST. 

tied  to  a  stake.  In  the  fall  or  winter  this  should  be  cut 
back  to  within  three  or  four  buds  of  the  last  season's 
growth ;  this  number  of  buds  is  left  to  guard  against  ac- 
cident, but  only  two  are  to  be  allowed  to  grow. 

The  next  spring  the  two  buds  that  push  the  strongest 
are  to  be  allowed  to  grow,  and  should  be  kept  tied  to  the 
stake  as  before.  If  the  vine  this,  the  second,  season  grows 
strong,  and  makes  a  growth  of  from  six  to  ten  feet,  it  will 
do  to  commence  layering  it  the  next  spring,  at  which  time 
it  will  be  in  its  third  season  after  planting.  But  if  it 
should  not  produce  a  strong  growth,  then  one  cane  should 
be  cut  entirely  away,  and  the  other  to  three  or  four  buds, 
allowing  but  two  to  grow  as  before,  and  defer  the  layer- 
ing until  the  fourth  year.  For  there  is  nothing  gained  by 
taking  layers  from  a  vine  until  it  is  strong  enough  to  make 
good  plants.  But  so  soon  as  the  vine  has  made  two  strong 
canes,  of  from  six  to  ten  feet  long,  whether  it  be  the  sec- 
ond or  third  year,  it  may  be  layered. 

HOW   TO   LAYER  THE   VINE. 

If  the  wood  that  is  to  be  cut  off  is  wanted  for  cuttings, 
then  the  vine  may  be  pruned  in  the  fall ;  if  not,  defer  the 
pruning  until  the  last  of  February  or  the  first  of  March. 
Select  the  largest  cane  for  the  layer ;  if  it  be  ten  feet  long 
it  should  be  cut  back  to  six  or  seven  feet,  but  if  not  so 
long  then  cut  it  back  still  more ;  then  cut  the  other  cane 
down  to  within  three  or  four  buds  of  its  base.  After  the 
buds  begin  to  swell  in  the  spring  (or  even  if  they  have 
grown  an  inch  or  two  it  is  no  matter),  layer  the  cane  in 
the  following  manner :  Dig  a  trench  from  four  to  six  inches 
deep,  six  inches  wide,  and  of  a  sufficient  length  to  receive 
the  cane ;  now  bend  it  down  and  fasten  it  in  the  trench  by 
hooked  pegs,  or  by  laying  a  stone  or  two  upon  it.  The 
bottom  of  the  trench  should  be  level  and  the  vine  laid  flat 
in  the  bottom,  and  not  turned  up  at  the  end  as  is  some- 


LAYERING    THE   VINE. 


61 


times  recommended.  The  cane  may  be  bent  sideways,  in 
a  circular  form,  and  it  will  be  a  benefit  to  it,  as  it  will 
cause  the  buds  to  push  more  evenly  than  if  laid  straight, 
but  that  portion  in  the  trench  should  still  be  as  nearly  level 
as  possible. 

Now  let  the  vine  remain  until  the  shoots  have  grown 
from  three  to  four  inches,  then  select  those  that  are  wanted 
and  break  off  all  others ;  those  that  are  allowed  to  remain 
should  be  as  evenly  distributed  as  possible  through  the 
entire  length  of  the  layer. 

Four  to  six  are  all  that  should  be  allowed  to  grow  on  a 
cane  six  or  seven  feet  long.  If  allowed  to  grow,  every  burl 
will  make  a  plant,  but  not  a  good  one;  the  less  number, 
che  better  they  will  be.  Fig.  19  shows  the  layer  in  the 
trench  after  the  superfluous  shoots 
are  removed,  also  the  roots  as  they 
will  appear  later  in  the  season  ;  B,  c, 
the  young  shoots  starting  from  the 
buds  on  the  main  stem.  The  first 
roots  push  from  near  the  buds,  as 


Fig.  19. 

with  cuttings,  but  afterward  they  will  start  from  between 
the  buds. 

When  it  has  been  decided  what  shoots  shall  be  allowed 
to  remain,  then  good  stout  stakes  should  be  put  down  by 


62  THE    GRAPE    CULTUKIST. 

the  side  of  each ;  and  so  soon  as  the  shoots  are  from  six  to 
ten  inches  high,  they  should  be  tied  up.  And  at  this  time 
a  little  soil  should  be  drawn  into  the  trench,  enough  to 
cover  the  vine  an  inch  deep  will  be  sufficient.  In  a  week 
or  ten  days  an  inch  or  two  more  may  be  put  on,  and  so  on 
at  intervals  of  a  few  days,  or  at  each  hoeing,  until  the 
whole  trench  is  filled  up.  If  it  is  filled  while  the  shoots 
are  very  young,  it  will  cause  the  part  below  ground  to  rot. 
Each  of  the  young  canes  should  be  kept  tied  to  the  stakes, 
and  if  a  particular  one  takes  the  lead  and  appropriates  too 
much  of  the  sap  to  itself,  it  should  be  checked  by  pinching 
off  the  top. 

The  canes  nearest  the  parent  vine,  and  the  one  at  the 
extreme  end  of  the  layer,  will  usually  grow  much  more 
rapidly  than  those  between ;  if  so,  they  should  be  checked 
before  they  have  gone  so  far  as  to  weaken  the  other  plants. 

Hoe  the  ground  often  during  the  summer,  or  cover  it 
with  a  mulch  to  keep  down  the  weeds.  The  cane  that  was 
cut  down  to  three  or  four  buds  should  be  allowed  to  pro- 
duce two  or  three  shoots  ;  these  are  to  be  tied  to  the  stakes 
shown  in  the  engraving.  Next  season  the  same  operation 
may  be  repeated,  and  if  the  vine  has  grown  very  strong, 
two  canes  may  be  layered  instead  of  one.  After  layers 
have  been  taken  from  the  vines  two  or  three  seasons  in 
succession,  it  is  best  to  let  them  pass  over  one  season  with- 
out taking  any  layers  from  them,  for  if  layered  every 
season,  they  wih1  soon  become  exhausted.  Any  vine  that 
has  a  young  shoot  which  can  be  made  to  reach  the  ground 
may  be  layered,  but  it  is  not  advisable  to  take  layers  from 
vines  that  are  planted  for  fruiting. 

When  only  one  vine  is  wanted  from  a  plant,  then  a 
branch  may  be  bent  down  into  a  short  trench  in  the  spring 
or  fall,  and  covered  up  at  the  time,  leaving  only  the  end . 
above  ground.  In  this  way  a  very  strong  vine  wih1  be  pro- 
duced the  first  season. 

The  layers  may  be  separated  from  the  parent  vine  at  the 


LAYERING    THE    VINE.  63 

end  of  the  first  season  or  the  spring  following.  In  taking 
them  off  cut  them  loose  from  the  jstakes,  then  lift  them, 
using  a  fork  instead  of  a  spade,  and  proceed  to  cut  them 
apart.  First  cut  the  layer  close  up  to  the  parent  vine,  and 
then  cut  off  that  portion  that  was  above  ground  and  has 
no  roots  ;  the  next  cut  should  be  between  the  first  and  sec- 
ond upright  shoot  near  the  first,  and  so  on  to  the  end, 
leaving  those  roots  on  each  plant,  below  it  or  toward  the 
parent  vine.  I  am  thus  particular  in  showing  how  the 
vine  should  be  separated,  because  I  have  seen  layers  so 
separated  that  the  roots  left  on  them  were  nearer  the  top 
end  of  the  layer  than  the  shoot  was,  and  the  sap  would 
have  to  reverse  its  course  and  descend  the  layered  cane  to 
reach  the  new  vine.  It  will  do  so  sometimes,  but  not 
readily.  Other  methods  are  practiced  in  making  layers, 
but  I  believe  those  described  are  the  best. 


64  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 


CHAPTEE    VIII. 

GRAFTING    THE    GRAPE. 

THE  propagation  of  the  grape  vine  by  grafting  is  prob- 
ably as  old  as  its  cultivation,  and  many  of  the  modes  prac- 
ticed at  the  present  time  are  accurately  described  in  most 
of  the  ancient  works  on  gardening  and  agriculture.  But 
with  all  the  information  which  we  have  derived  from  both 
ancient  and  modern  authors,  it  still  seems  to  be  generally 
considered  a  rather  difficult  if  not  uncertain  method  of  prop- 
agation. On  account  of  the  peculiar  structure  of  the  wood 
of  the  vine,  a  lasting  union  is  seldom  obtained  when  grafted 
above  ground,  and  is  far  from  being  certain  even  when 
grafted  below  the  surface  by  the  ordinary  method.  When 
we  compare  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  grafting  the 
vine  with  grafting  the  pear,  apple,  etc.,  it  appears  to  be  of 
little  value,  because  the  vine  may  be  readily  grown  from 
cuttings  of  almost  any  portion  of  the  wood,  while  the  lat- 
ter produce  roots  from  cuttings  only  sparingly,  even  with 
the  greatest  care  and  under  the  most  favorable  circum- 
stances, but  they  may  be  propagated  very  easily  by  graft- 
ing and  budding.  Thus  it  appears  that  nature  has  pro- 
vided a  way  for  the  rapid  multiplication  of  every  species 
and  variety  of  plants,  but  she  has  left  it  to  man  to  discover 
the  way  and  means.  There  are  circumstances  constantly 
occurring  under  which  it  would  be  quite  desirable  to  graft 
the  vine  ;  for  instance,  when  we  have  a  new  and  valuable 
variety  which  we  wish  to  multiply  as  rapidly  as  possible ; 
to  do  this  we  must  produce  wood  for  the  purpose,  and  if 
we  can  produce  wood  more  rapidly  by  grafting  than  by 
any  other  means  at  command,  then  it  becomes  very  import- 


GRAFTING   THE    GRAPE.  65 

ant  to  know  how  to  perform  the  operation  successfully. 
There  are  usually  in  every  garden  where  grapes  are  grown, 
inferior  varieties  which  it  is  desirable  to  exchange  for  bet- 
ter, and  if  we  employ  grafting  as  a  method  of  propagation, 
then  these  otherwise  worthless  vines  may  become  valuable 
as  stocks  on  which  to  graft  better  kinds ;  and  if  by  the  use 
of  these  we  can  make  every  bud  to  produce  a  shoot  of  from 
five  to  twenty  feet  in  a  single  season,  of  larger  and  better 
wood  than  we  can  by  any  other  means,  and  that,  too,  with- 
out the  aid  of  any  artificial  heat,  it  becomes  very  important 
to  know  how  to  do  it.  Sometimes  it  would  be  desirable 
to  change  a  whole  vineyard  from  an  inferior  variety  to  a 
new  and  superior  one,  and  if  the  operation  is  judiciously 
performed,  it  can  be  successfully  done ;  but  I  will  consider 
this  further  on.  The  time  generally  selected  for  grafting 
the  vine  is  early  in  spring,  before  the  vine  starts,  or  after 
it  has  started  and  made  a  growth  of  a  few  inches ;  both 
of  which  I  have  found  highly  objectionable;  for  if  grafted 
early,  the  operation  must  be  performed  several  weeks  be- 
fore the  vine  starts,  so  as  to  allow  the  graft  sufficient  time 
to  form  a  union  with  the  stock  before  the  latter  starts,  or 
else  the  excessive  flow  of  sap  will  drown  the  graft.  This 
early  grafting  is  very  difficult  in  a  northern  latitude,  where 
the  ground  thaws  out  only  a  very  few  days  before  the  sap 
begins  to  flow.  It  is  always  desirable  to  graft  the  grape 
below  ground.  If  we  wait  until  the  vine  has  begun  to 
produce  leaves,  and  the  sap  has  thickened  and  flows  less 
rapidly,  then  by  cutting  down  the  vine  to  receive  the  graft 
we  give  it  a  severe  check,  which  often  destroys  it ;  and  if 
not  entirely  killed,  it  is  so  much  injured  that  it  does  not 
afford  sufficient  nourishment  to  the  graft  to  produce  a  very 
strong  growth.  Besides,  if  hot,  dry  weather  sets  in,  the 
graft  is  almost  sure  to  fail. 

Another  reason  why  grafts  do  not  unite  more  readily 
with  the  stock  at  this  season  is  because  the  sap  in  the  vine 
is  in  a  state  of  active  circulation,  and  in  a  different  condi- 


f 


66 


THE   GRAPE    CULTURI8T. 


tion  from  that  in  the  graft,  for  in.  the  former  the  cambium 
(or  elaborated  sap)  is  of  recent  formation,  while  in  the  lat- 
ter it  was  formed  the  season  previous  ;  consequently  there 
is  but  little  affinity  between  the  two. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  difficulties  that  I  have  had  to 
encounter  when  grafting  at  these  seasons,  and  in  the  ordi- 
nary manner.  To  avoid  them  I  have  practiced  with  per- 
fect success  the  following  method  :  in  the  fall,  after  the 
leaves  have  fallen,  and  any  time  before  the  ground  is  frozen, 
say  in  October,  November,  or  December,  varying  accord- 
ing to  latitude,  dig  away  the  soil  from  around  the  stock 
(which  may  be  of  any  size,  from  one 
half  inch  to  two  inches  in  diameter) 
to  the  depth  of  four  to  six  inches ; 
then  cut  it  off,  and  split  in  the  ordi- 
nary manner  for  cleft  grafting;  make 
the  graft  of  one  eye  with  about  four 
inches  of  wood,  and  insert  it  in  the 
stock,  being  careful  to  have  the  in- 
ner bark  of  the  stock  and  graft  meet, 
then  tie  in  the  graft  by  winding 
around  the  stock  some  bass-bark  or 
strong  twine  enough  to  hold  it  firmly 
in  place.  Fig.  20  shows  the  graft 
inserted  and  ready  for  tying.  Next, 
throw  in  soil  enough  to  fill  up  around 
the  graft,  leaving  the  bud  just  above 
the  surface ;  then  put  a  flower-pot 
(a  box  will  answer  the  purpose)  in- 
verted over  the  graft,  as  seen  in  Fig. 
21  ;  then  bank  up,  d,  d,  around  the 
flower-pot  to  the  top,  but  not  over 
it:  now  put  on  some  straw,  e,  say 
six  inches  deep,  and  cover  the  earth,  /",  over  all.  In  this 
manner  the  graft  is  perfectly  protected  against  the  frost, 
and  it  has  all  winter  to  perfect  a  union  with  the  stock,  and 


Fig.  20. 


GRAFTING    THE   GRAPE. 


6T 


by  spring  it  is  ready  to  grow.  It  should  not  be  uncovered 
until  the  cold  freezing  weather  is  over.  It  is  necessary 
that  a  box  or  flower-pot  should  be  placed  immediately 


Fig.  21. 

over  the  graft,  so  that  when  it  is  uncovered  in  spring,  the 
graft  will  not  be  disturbed  by  digging  down  to  uncover  it ; 
and  it  also  protects  the  graft  from  being  injured  by  water 
running  down  it  and  getting  in  between  the  graft  and  the 
stock.  I  have  sometimes  used  grafting  wax  for  covering 
the  junction  between  the  stock  and  graft,  but  having  suc- 
ceeded just  as  well  without,  I  abandoned  its  use ;  besides, 
I  have  sometimes  noticed  that  the  wax  injured  the  graft 
when  it  came  in  contact  with  it.  Grafting  clay  may  be 
employed  with  safety,  but  I  do  not  consider  it  necessary  to 
use  anything  but  the  bass-matt,  and  then  put  in  the  soil. 
The  twine  or  bass  strings  will  usually  become  so  weakened 
during  the  winter  that  they  will  give  away  when  the  stock 
commences  to  grow.  One-year-old  wood  should  be  used 
for  grafts,  and  only  that  which  is  firm  and  well  ripened. 
If  the  wood  is  very  short -jointed,  the  grafts  may  be  of  two 
buds  instead  of  one,  but  usually  one  is  sufficient. 

Grafts  inserted  in  the  fall  in  this  manner  will  make 
almost  as  strong  a  growth  as  the  original  vine  would  have 


00  THE    GRAPE    CULTUEIST. 

done  if  it  had  not  been  grafted  ;  besides,  the  operation  can 
be  performed  at  a  season  when  there  is  usually  not  so  much 
business  as  in  spring,  and  it  requires  no  more  skill  in  its 
performance  than  other  modes  of  grafting.  It  can  also  be 
performed  at  any  time  during  the  winter,  provided  the 
ground  is  not  frozen.  But  I  prefer  early  in  fall,  as  in  that 
case  there  is  more  time  for  the  union  to  take  place ;  be- 
sides, the  sap  in  the  roots  of  the  vine  remains  longer  in 
the  fluid  state  in  the  fall  than  in  the  top,  as  may  be  seen 
by  examining  the  roots  after  the  leaves  have  fallen,  and 
when  no  sap  is  observable  in  the  branches.  This  is  owing 
to  the  fact  that  roots,  in  a  great  measure,  are  out  of  reach 
of  the  frost,  which  has  checked  the  flow  of  sap  in  that  por- 
tion of  the  vine  above  ground.  All  the  roots  of  the  vine 
are  seldom  in  a  perfectly  dormant  state,  consequently  the 
sap  is  always  ready  to  flow  upward  into  the  branches 
whenever  they  are  not  frozen.  The  vine,  as  well  as  nearly 
all  woody  plants,  continues  to  expand  its  buds  during  the 
winter  months.  And  if  there  were  no  such  action  as  this, 
then  there  would  be  no  production  of  new  fibers  and  cal- 
losities, which  every  practical  horticulturist  must  have 
observed  as  taking  place,  especially  upon  the  roots  of  trees 
and  plants  that  have  been  transplanted  in  the  fall.  These 
facts  led  me  to  try  the  grafting  of  the  grape  early  in  the 
fall,  and  the  results  have  been  all  that  I  could  wish ;  for 
when  the  grafts  have  been  properly  inserted,  I  have  found 
them  in  the  spring,  without  an  exception,  to  be  firmly 
united  to  the  stock. 

When  the  grafts  have  made  one  season's  growth  they 
may  be  cut  down  and  used  for  grafts  or  cuttings,  or  they 
may  be  layered.  If  sprouts  should  come  up  from  the  stock 
they  should  be  immediately  removed,  as  they  would  rob 
the  graft  of  nourishment. 

When  there  is  a  scarcity  of  stocks  for  grafting,  an  old 
vine  may  be  layered,  as  shown  in  Fig.  19,  and  instead  of 
taking  up  the  layers  the  young  canes  may  be  grafted  in 


GRAFTING    THE    GRAPE. 


69 


the  fall,  inserting  the  graft  as  near  the  layered  cane  or 
roots  as  practicable.  And  when  the  grafts  have  made  one 
season's  growth  they  may  be  taken  up  and  separated,  or 
be  again  layered  and  several  vines  produced  from  each. 
But  in  grafting  the  one-year-old  canes  the  cleft  or  wedge- 
graft  should  not  be  used  unless  the  canes  have  grown  very 
strong,  and  are  at  least  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter; 
but  instead  of  it,  splice-graft  them  as  follows  :  select  one- 
year-old  wood  for  the  grafts  as  near  the  same  diameter  of 
the  stock  as  possible ;  cut  the  stock  obliquely  upward  and 
the  scion  downward,  with  a  corresponding  inclination,  so 


Fig.  22. 

that  the  two  shall  fit  nicely  together,  care  being  taken  that 
the  bark  on  one  side,  at  least,  of  the  graft  and  stock  shall 
meet  exactly.  Fig.  22  shows  the  manner  in  which  they 
are  united.  Bind  them  snugly  together,  and  proceed  to 
cover,  etc.,  as  with  the  cleft-graft. 


THE    GEAPE    CULTURTST. 


Sometimes  it  is  desirable  to  graft  a  whole  vineyard,  and 
if  the  vines  are  young  and  healthy  it  is  perfectly  practi- 
cable to  do  so  ;  but  if  the  vines  are,  as  is  often  the  case, 
old,  stunted,  and  diseased,  it  is  better  to  dig  them  up  and 
plant  new  ones.  Because,  if  very  large  and  old  vines  are 
cut  down  and  grafted,  a  large  portion  of  their  roots  is  very 
likely  to  die  in  consequence  of  the  severe  check  they  re- 
ceive by  having  ah1  the  top  removed ;  and  these  dead  and 
decaying  roots  will  have  a  tendency  to  convey  disease  to 
the  whole  plant. 

In  these  days,  when  men  are  planting  acres  of  compara- 
tively new  and  untried  varieties,  there  will  be,  without 
doubt,  hundreds  of  vineyardists  who  will  soon  discover 
that  they  have  many  sorts  whose  fruit  will  not  pay  for  cul- 
tivating the  vines.  Yet  many  of  these  varieties  will  make 
good  stocks  on  which  to  graft  other  kinds.  Where  a  num- 
ber of  vines  or  a  vineyard  are  to  be  grafted,  and  they  are 
to  be  grown  for  fruit  only,  I  would  not  depend  entirely 
upon  the  stock  for  permanent  support,  but  I  would  layer  a 

portion  of  the  graft 
when  it  had  grown 
one  season.  The  vines 
should  all  be  layered 
one  way ;  that  is,  take 
up  the  stakes  to  which 
the  grafts  have  been 
tied,  and  set  them  in  a 
line  one  side  of  the 
vines  and  about  two 
feet  off;  then  dig  out 
a  trench  five  or  six 
inches  deep,  from  the 
vine  to  the  stake ;  bend 
down  the  vine  into  it, 
and  bring  up  the  end 
and  tie  it  to  the  stake, 


GRAFTING    THE   GEAPE.  71 

being  careful  not  to  break  the  graft  from  the  stock  ;  fill  up 
the  trench,  covering  the  vine  except  the  end  tied  up. 

Fig.  23  shows  the  manner  of  layering ;  the  cross  line 
shows  where  the  vine  should  be  cut  off.  All  of  that  por- 
tion of  the  young  cane  that  is  covered  will  throw  out  roots 
the  next  season,  and  very  materially  assist  its  growth ; 
besides,  it  will  be  firmly  established  upon  its  own  roots, 
and  not  dependent  upon  the  stock  for  support.  In  the 
above  manner  a  whole  vineyard  may  be  changed  from  an 
inferior  to  a  superior  variety  in  one  season,  and  at  a  trifling 
expense.  It  is  often  the  case  that  the  best  varieties  are 
naturally  slow  growers,  and  the  most  inferior  kinds  the 
stronger,  so  that  the  grafting  may  be  beneficial  not  only 
in  exchanging  a  poor  variety  for  a  good  one,  but  will  very 
much  assist  the  latter  in  growth. 

There  are  many  other  modes  of  propagating  the  vine, 
such  as  budding,  summer-grafting,  inarching,  etc.,  besides 
dozens  of  modes  of  layering  and  grafting ;  but  few  of  them 
are  of  any  practical  use  to  the  vineyardist,  and  none  supe- 
rior to  those  I  have  given. 


72  THE    GEAPE    CULTUEIST. 


CHAPTEE    IX. 

HYBRIDIZING  AND  CROSSING. 

THESE  are  operations  that  should  demand  the  attention 
of  every  one  who  undertakes  to  produce  new  varieties. 
If  these  are  artificially  performed,  improvements  are  more 
certain  than  if  we  depend  wholly  upon  the  natural  varia- 
tions occurring  in  vines  grown  from  seeds  which  have  not 
been  influenced  by  artificial  fertilizing. 

Many  of  our  best  varieties  of  grapes  as  well  as  other 
fruits  owe  their  superiority  in  a  great  measure  to  the 
careful  manner  in  which  the  flowers  of  the  parent  plant 
were  fertilized. 

The  two  words  hybridizing  and  crossing  are  used  indis- 
criminately by  many  writers  in  this  country  who  follow 
the  European  custom  of  calling  every  plant  that  shows  a 
mixture  of  two  varieties  a  hybrid.  This  is  an  error  which 
we  should  avoid,  for  although  the  mode  of  operation  is  in 
both  instances  precisely  the  same,  the  results  are  entirely 
different. 

A  hybrid  grape,  properly  speaking,  is  a  mixture  of  two 
distinct  species,  not  of  two  varieties  of  the  same  species. 
For  instance,  if  we  should  take  an  Isabella  grape,  which 
belongs  to  the  Vitis  Labrusca  species,  and  the  common 
frost  grape  ( Vitis  cordifolia),  and  by  fertilizing  the  one 
with  the  other  produce  a  plant  with  the  characteristics  of 
both  parents,  we  should  then  have  a  proper  hybrid.  But 
if  we  should  fertilize  the  Isabella  with  the  Concord  we 
would  have  a  cross  between  two  varieties  of  the  same 
species.  Hybridizing,  then,  is  the  mixing  of  two  species, 
and  crossing  or  cross-breeding  (as  it  is  termed)  is  the 
mixing  of  two  varieties. 


HYBRIDIZING   AND    CROSSING.  73 

True  hybrids  are  generally  forced  productions,  but  cross 
fertilizing  is  constantly  going  on  naturally  among  nearly 
all  cultivated  plants.  . 

During  the  last  few  years  many  new  varieties  of  grapes 
have  been  brought  to  notice  that  are  claimed  to  be  true 
hybrids,  and  doubtless  many  of  them  are ;  but  it  is  to  be 
regretted  for  the  cause  of  science  that  nearly  all  of  these 
are  in  part  a  mixture  of  the  varieties  of  Vitis  Labrusca, 
or  its  direct  offspring ;  for  of  all  the  known  native 
species  this  is  the  most  variable,  producing  of  itself,  with- 
out being  fertilized  by  other  species  or  varieties,  almost 
every  conceivable  shape,  color,  and  quality  of  fruit,  as  well 
as  a  great  variety  in  leaf,  stem,  and  growth. 

I  think  that  I  may  safely  assert  that  until  some  other 
varieties  and  species  have  been  operated  upon  than  those 
heretofore  employed,  but  little  reliance  can  be  placed  upon 
the  assertions  that  are  constantly  being  made  about  this 
or  that  grape  being  a  true  hybrid. 

We  know  that  plants  in  a  state  of  nature  generally  per- 
petuate their  species  and  varieties  with  great  uniformity. 
Yet  a  slight  change  is  sometimes  observed,  and  it  has  been 
upon  these  variations  that  pomologists  and  florists  have 
mainly  depended  as  the  starting-point  from  which  they 
produce  their  innumerable  varieties. 

The  effect  produced  by  change  of  soil  and  climate  upon 
plants  when  removed  from  their  native  habitats  has  long 
been  observed,  and  their  variations  turned  to  valuable 
account.  Although  these  changes  have  been  slow,  yet  by 
the  preservation  of  them  we  are  indebted  to  most  of  the 
valuable  fruits  and  flowers  now  in  cultivation. 

When  plants  are  removed  from  one  country  to  another, 
and  become  acclimated,  the  effects  of  this  change  will 
sometimes  show  itself  in  the  seedlings  grown  from  them 
in  a  distinct  and  wonderful  manner,  so  much  so  that  some 
are  inclined  to  think  that  it  is  the  result  of  accidental 
hybridization.  These  phenomena  lead  many  to  believe 

4 


:  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

that  they  have  a  hybrid  variety,  when  it  is  only  a  variation 
produced  by  natural  causes. 

If  we  have  a  number  of  fruits  which  reproduce  them- 
selves without  variation,  it  is  not  positive  proof  that  they 
are  distinct  species.  But  it  only  goes  to  show  that  the 
natural  forces  of  the  plants  are  perfectly  balanced. 

We  see  this  principle  fully  illustrated  in  the  different 
breeds  of  cattle,  sheep,  etc.,  which  are  descendants  of  an 
original  species,  but  are  now  divided  into  breeds,  as  they 
are  termed,  each  of  which  perpetuates  its  distinctive  features 
unless  some  disturbing  cause  is  allowed  to  interfere  and 
destroy  the  established  character. 

The  case  is  very  similar  with  plants,  for  we  often  possess 
varieties  that  have  all  their  functions  so  fixed  and  balanced 
that  they  reproduce  themselves  from  seed,  generation  after 
generation,  if  not  disturbed  by  being  brought  into  close 
contact  with  other  and  different  varieties  of  the  same 
species,  or  by  a  too  great  change  of  soil,  culture,  or 
climate.  But  when  there  has  been  a  disturbance  of  these 
forces  either  by  hybridizing  or  cultivation,  and  the  func- 
tions of  generation  have  been  disarranged,  then  variation 
begins,  and  it  becomes  difficult  to  decide  whether  hybrid- 
izing may  or  may  not  have  produced  this  change. 

Suppose  we  fertilize  the  Isabella  grape  with  the  Sweet 
Water  and  the  result  is  a  white  variety,  would  the  simple 
fact  of  its  being  white  be  a  proof  that  hybridizing  had 
been  accomplished  ?  No,  not  at  all,  for  there  have  been  plenty 
of  white  varieties  raised  from  the  seed  of  the  Isabella 
without  its  being  brought  in  contact  with  any  white  kind. 

I  fruited  several  seedlings  of  the  Isabella  the  past  season, 
and  two  of  them  gave  fruit  that  in  appearance  were  exact 
types  of  the  Delaware,  yet  the  vine  from  which  the  seeds 
were  gathered  to  produce  these  seedlings  was  not  within 
twenty  miles  of  a  fruiting  Delaware ;  but  had  I  fertilized 
an  Isabella  with  the  pollen  from  the  Delaware  and  pro- 
duced such  fruit  as  the  result,  it  would  have  been  pro- 


HYBRIDIZING    AND    CROSSING.  75 

nounced  by  nine  out  of  ten  casual  observers  to  have  been 
a  perfect  success  in  crossing  these  two  varieties.  But  as 
the  facts  are,  I  know  that  no  such  causes  did  exist,  and 
that  the  production  of  the  fac-simile,  in  outward  appearance, 
of  the  fruit  of  the  Delaware  was  only  the  result  of  the  in- 
herent variableness  of  the  parent  variety. 

To  convince  us  that  hybridization  has  actually  taken 
place,  we  need  to  see  more  than  one  of  the  prominent 
characteristics  of  both  parents  mixed  in  the  offspring. 

Again,  if  the  offspring  should  appear  to  be  only  a  repro- 
duction of  the  mother  plant  without  variation,  it  would 
not  prove  that  the  hybridizing  process  had  not  been 
effectual.  But  it  would  only  show  that  there  was  a  pre- 
dominant power  in  the  mother  plant  to  reproduce  itself,  and 
the  influence  which  the  artificial  fertilizing  had  produced 
was  entirely  hidden  in  the  present  generation  of  seedlings, 
but  in  the  next  generation  it  might  show  itself  distinctly. 

A  good  test  to  determine  whether  a  plant  is  a  true 
hybrid  or  a  mixture  of  two  species  is  to  plant  a  quantity 
of  its  seeds ;  a  portion  of  the  seedlings  thus  produced  will 
be  pretty  sure  to  show  more  prominently  than  others  some 
of  the  characteristics  of  one  or  the  other  of  the  parents ;  or, 
in  other  words,  the  mixture  will  again  separate,  and  a  part 
will  return  each  to  its  original  progenitor. 

There  are  at  the  present  time  several  varieties  of  grapes 
under  cultivation  which  are  called  hybrids ;  the  most  noted 
are  Allen's  Hybrid,  and  a  number  of  varieties  under  the 
name  of  Rogers'  Hybrids.  These  are  said  to  be  the  result 
of  fertilizing  one  of  the  varieties  of  the  Vitis  Labrusca 
with  one  of  the  Vitis  vinifera,  the  former  being  a  native 
species,  and  the  latter  a  foreign  one.  By  growing  a  quan- 
tity of  seedlings  from  these  sorts,  we  may  ascertain  if 
they  are  true  hybrids,  as  claimed,  for,  if  our  position  is 
correct,  a  portion  of  the  seedlings  will  be  more  like  the 
Vitis  Labrusca  than  their  parents,  while  others  will  show 
more  of  the  characters  of  the  Vitis  vinifera. 


76  THE   GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

These  difficulties  in  determining  the  cause  that  may  have 
produced  a  certain  change,  ought  not  to  deter  us  in  our 
efforts  at  hybridizing. 

The  world  cares  but  little  how  a  thing  is  produced,  or 
where  it  is  from,  but  is  only  interested  in  the  results.  Our 
greatest  danger  as  cultivators  lies  in  the  fact,  that  partial 
success  will  often  direct  our  thoughts  into  a  region  of  false 
theories,  from  which  it  is  difficult  to  extricate  ourselves 
without  unlearning  all  that  which  we  have  previously 
learned. 

In  all  our  efforts  at  hybridizing,  attention  should  be 
given  to  the  adaptation  of  the  plants  to  the  circumstances 
under  which  they  are  to  be  grown. 

If  it  is  our  object  to  produce  a  plant  for  this  latitude,  we 
should  avoid,  if  possible,  crossing  with  a  variety  that  ripens 
late,  or  is  otherwise  unsuitable.  The  aim  in  all  our  opera- 
tions should  be,  to  develop  those  qualities  that  are  most 
valuable,  and  discourage  those  that  are  not;  for  these  inter- 
crossings  will  often  produce  an  individual  variety  more 
valuable  to  us  than  either  of  the  parents.  Again,  we  may 
cross  two  superior  varieties,  and  the  result  will  be  a  kind 
that  is  very  inferior.  But  it  is  this  very  uncertainty  that 
makes  the  operation  of  fertilizing  so  fascinating.  If  we 
could  know  exactly  what  the  results  of  our  labor  would  be, 
it  would  be  robbed  of  half  its  charms. 

It  is  undoubtedly  the  fact  that  true  hybrids  have  been, 
and  can  be  produced. ;  even  if  they  had  not  been,  none  will 
deny  that  the  crossing  of  varieties  is  often  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  grape  growers,  therefore  I  can  not  do  less 
than  urge  all  to  try  it  often  and  persistently. 


HYBRIDIZING   AND    CROSSING. 


Fig.  25. 


MODE  OF  OPERATION. 

That  we  may  proceed  understandingly,  let  us  examine 
the  flowers  of  the  grape.  Fig.  24  shows  a  flower  as  it  is 
expanding  ;  A  shows  the  five  petals  cohering  to- 
gether as  they  are  lifted  up  and  cast  off  by  the 
stamens  ;  the  petals  do  not  open,  as  in  the  rose, 
lily,  and  most  other  flowers,  but  drop  off  with- 
out expanding.  Fig.  25  shows  the  flower  after 
the  petals  are  gone  ;  the  five  stamens  are  now  sur-  Fi£- 2*- 
rounding  the  center  of  the  flower ;  the  little  knobs  at  their 
summits  (B)  are  called  anthers,  which  produce  a  fine  dust 
called  pollen — this  is  the  fertilizing  material 
which  we  wish  to  control.  Soon  after  the 
flowers  open,  or  the  falling  of  the  petals,  this 
pollen  is  carried  by  the  air  or  insects  to  the 
stigma  (c),  which  is  the  terminal  p6int  of  the 
pistil,  placed  in  the  center  of  the  flower. 
The  surface  of  the  stigma  is  covered  with  a  viscid  sub- 
stance, to  which  the  pollen  adheres ;  and  so  soon  as  the 
pollen  lodges  here,  it  penetrates  the  stigma  and  passes 
down  through  the  pistil  to  the  ovules  or  undeveloped  seeds. 
Now,  this  operation  goes  on  without  the  assistance  of  man, 
in  all  perfect  flowering  varieties  of  grapes  ;  but  when  we 
wish  to  cross  or  hybridize  a  variety,  we  fertilize  its  stigma 
with  the  pollen  from  another  plant,  and  prevent  the  pollen 
of  the  flower  fertilizing  its  own  stigma.  To  do  this,  so 
soon  as  the  flowers  open,  we  cut  off  the  anthers  with  a 
small  pair  of  scissors,  leaving  the  flower  as  seen  in  Fig. 
26  (D,  stamens  with  the  anthers  removed),  then  take  the  pol- 
len from  another  variety,  and  dust  it  over  the 
stigma.  This  last  operation  is  performed  with 
a  fine  camel's-hair  pencil.  Suppose  we  wish  to 
produce  a  cross  between  the  Union  Village  and 
the  Delaware,  which  would  certainly  be  very 
desirable,  as  the  former  is  very  large  but  not  Fig.  26. 


78  THE   GRAPE    CULTTJKIST. 

remarkably  good,  while  the  latter  is  small  but  most  excel- 
lent ;  and  suppose  we  choose  the  Union  Village  for  the 
fruiting  parent.  Now,  it  is  very  desirable  that  they  should 
come  into  flower  at  nearly  the  same  time ;  but  if  they  do 
not,  it  is  positively  necessary  that  the  one  to  be  fertilized 
should  be  the  last  to  bloom ;  for  the  pollen  can  be  kept 
good  for  a  few  days  by  cutting  off  the  anthers  when  in  a 
proper  condition,  putting  them  in  fine,  soft  paper,  placing 
the  whole  in  a  bottle,  and  corking  it  up  until  wanted. 
When  the  plant,  the  pistil  of  which  is  to  be  fertilized, 
comes  into  flower,  it  can  not  be  retarded,  and  the  opera- 
tion must  be  performed  as  the  blossoms  open — although 
the  period  of  blossoming  may  be  hastened  or  retarded  if 
the  vine  is  operated  upon  early  in  the  season  for  that  pur- 
pose. When  the  Union  Village  shows  signs  of  flowering, 
we  should  watch  it  closely,  and  so  soon  as  a  flower  drops 
its  petals,  the  anthers  should  be  immediately  cut  away,  and 
some  pollen  from  the  Delaware  applied  to  the  stigma. 
Operate  upon  every  one  that  is  sufficiently  advanced  to 
admit  of  it,  and  then  inclose  the  entire  bunch  in  a  gauze 
bag,  to  prevent  insects  from  bringing  pollen  from  other 
flowers,  which  they  often  do,  and  thereby  interfere  with 
our  operations. 

If  a  portion  of  the  flowers  were  operated  upon,  say  at 
ten  o'clock  A.  M.,  by  three  or  four  in  the  afternoon  another 
set  will  be  open,  at  which  time  they  should  be  fertilized  in 
the  same  manner,  and  more  pollen  should  also  be  applied 
to  those  operated  upon  in  the  forenoon,  as  they  may  not 
have  absorbed  that  first  applied. 

The  flowers  do  not  open  all  at  one  time,  neither  is  the 
stigma  always  fertilized  by  the  first  application  of  pollen, 
but  it  should  be  repeated  a  number  of  times  during  several 
days.  When  the  fertilization  has  been  complete,  the  min- 
iature grapes  commence  swelling,  and  their  growth  proceeds 
rapidly. 

The  gauze  covering  should  be  removed  so  soon  as  ah1  the 


HYBRIDIZING    AND    CROSSING.  79 

flowers  on  the  bunch  show  that  they  have  been  fertilized. 
Mark  the  bunch,  and  take  care  that  no  worm  or  insect  in- 
jures it  during  its  growth. 

It  is  best  to  thin  out  the  flowers  before  they  open  ;  cut 
away  at  least  one  half  the  number,  as  it  will  be  more  con- 
venient to  operate  upon  those  left.  Besides,  the  berries 
will  have  more  room  to  grow,  and  will  be  larger  and  ma- 
ture better  than  if  all  were  left  on. 

When  the  fruit  is  ripe,  gather  it,  and  proceed  the  same 
as  recommended  for  seedlings  in  the  preceding  chapter. 


80  THE    GRAPE    CULTUEIST. 

CHAPTER    X. 

TRANSPLANTING. 

VINES,  whether  grown  from  cuttings  in  the  open  ground 
or  under  glass,  will  often  require  one  season  of  nursery 
culture  before  being  planted  in  the  vineyard.  In  such 
cases  they  should  be  transplanted  from  the  cutting-bed,  or, 
if  grown  in  pots,  they  should  be  taken  out,  the  earth  shaken 
from  the  roots,  the  tops  and  roots  shortened,  and  then 
planted  in  the  nursery.  This  rule  does  not  apply  to  well- 
grown  layers,  nor  to  extra  large  one-year-old  cuttings,  but 
only  to  such  vines  as  are  usually  produced  in  nurseries. 
The  benefits  derived  from  transplanting  young  vines  should 
not  be  overlooked.  Vines,  for  instance,  that  are  grown  in 
pots,  generally  have  a  mass  of  roots  that  are  crooked  and 
distorted  by  being  confined  in  a  small  space,  and  which 
need  to  be  separated,  their  ends  cut  off,  and  sometimes  a 
portion  of  them  taken  out  entirely,  and  then  planted  where 
they  can  have  special  care,  such  as  mulching,  watering,  etc., 
or  they  will  make  but  little  progress.  It  is  much  more 
convenient  to  do  this  when  planted  in  a  nursery  than  when 
scattered  over  a  vineyard. 

A  large  portion  of  the  vines  that  are  produced  from  cut- 
tings in  the  open  air  will  have  but  few  roots,  and  some- 
times these  will  be  nearly  destitute  of  small  branching 
ones ;  but  if  they  are  taken  up  and  have  their  roots  short- 
ened, and  are  planted  again,  they  will  throw  out  a  number 
of  roots  from  each  of  the  original  ones.  The  same  remarks 
apply  to  one-bud  cuttings  in  open  air. 

But  the  most  important  result  derived  from  the  nursery 
culture  is,  that  the  vine  becomes  sufficiently  strong  the 
second  year  to  allow  it  to  be  placed  at  the  proper  depth 


TRANSPLANTING.  81 

when  planted  in  the  vineyard.  This  can  not  be  done  with 
small  one-year-old  plants  without  detriment  to  their  future 
growth.  To  be  sure,  they  can  be  planted  in  the  bottom 
of  a  shallow  trench,  which  may  be  left  open  and  not  filled 
up  until  they  have  made  a  strong  growth  ;  but  this  will 
require  extra  care  in  cultivating ;  besides,  in  most  soils, 
these  trenches  would  have  to  be  cleaned  out  after  every 
heavy  shower.  Vines  may  be  left  in  the  cutting-bed  until 
they  are  two  years  old ;  some  cultivators  do  so,  but  they 
do  not  make  so  good  plants  as  when  transplanted.  Some- 
times they  are  left  there  for  several  years,  or  until  they  are 
wanted  for  planting  or  selling  ;  but  such  plants  are  of  little 
value  after  the  second  year,  as  the  roots  are  usually  so  long 
that  it  is  impracticable  to  take  them  up  entire,  and  they 
are  cut  off,  leaving  all  the  fibrous  roots  in  the  ground,  and 
the  remaining  roots  are  so  old  that  they  possess  but  little 
power  to  produce  new  fibers.  Had  they  been  transplanted 
they  would  have  been  furnished  with  an  abundance  of 
fibrous  ones.  For  these  and  other  reasons  I  believe  it  is 
better  to  transplant  the  one-year-old  vines  from  the  cutting- 
beds  or  pots  to  the  nursery  preparatory  to  their  final  plant- 
ing in  the  vineyard.  The  soil  for  the  nursery  should  be 
in  the  highest  state  of  cultivation,  containing  all  the  manu- 
rial  ingredients  necessary  for  the  growth  of  the  vine,  in 
addition  to  being  deep  and  thoroughly  pulverized.  It  is 
expected  that  while  the  young  vines  are  in  the  nursery,  not 
only  will  their  roots  be  improved,  but  their  general  char- 
acter will  be  so  developed,  that  a  proper  selection  can  be 
made  when  they  are  transplanted  into  the  vineyard,  so  that 
plants  of  equal  vigor  may  be  planted  in  the  same  row,  and 
every  vine  upon  the  trellis  may  be  in  an  equal  state  of 
forwardness,  so  that  each  step  in  the  system  of  training 
may  be  applied  to  all  the  vines  at  the  same  time.  This  is 
of  the  utmost  importance  if  anything  like  neatness  and  uni- 
formity are  to  be  obtained  in  the  vineyard.  But  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  secure  this  if  one-year-old  vines  are  planted,  as  at 

4* 


82  THE   GRAPE   CULTUKIST. 

that  time  their  real  vigor  or  weakness  can  not  be  readily 
determined. 

To  prepare  the  vines  properly  for  the  vineyard,  they 
should  be  carefully  taken  up  in  the  fall  of  the  first  season, 
and  "  heeled-in"  in  a  cool  cellar  or  in  some  dry  place  in  the 
open  air.  They  should  remain  in  this  situation  until  spring, 
when  the  ground  has  become  sufficiently  dry  "to  work 
easily ;  but  the  earlier  they  can  be  planted,  provided  the 
ground  is  in  suitable  condition,  the  better.  When  taken 
out  for  planting,  the  roots  should  be  shortened  at  least  one 
third,  and  if  very  long — say  two  feet  or  more — then  they 
may  be  cut  back  one  half,  as  it  will  not  only  be  more  con- 
venient to  plant  them  if  shortened,  but  the  plants  will  be 
benefited. 

The  plants  should  be  kept  under  cover  while  being 
trimmed,  and  the  roots  kept  moist  and  out  of  the  wind, 
which  would  soon  destroy  the  small  fibers  and  injure  the 
large  ones.  The  trenches  in  which  the  vines  are  to  be 
planted  should  be  dug  before  the  vines  are  taken  into  the 
field. 

Draw  a  line  across  the  plot  of  ground  to  be  planted,  and 
dig  out  a  trench  as  shown  in  Fig.  27 ;  this  is  eighteen 


Fig.  27. 

inches  wide,  and  three  deep  on  one  side  and  five  on  the 
other,  the  bottom  being  slightly  oval ;  the  soil  is  thrown 
all  upon  one  side.  When  a  number  of  trenches  are  ready, 
bring  out  the  vines  and  plant  them  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  place  the  vine  in  the  trench  upon  the  shallow  side 
and  spread  out  the  roots  toward  the  opposite  side,  then 
throw  on  soil  enough  to  hold  them  in  place  and  cover  them, 


TRANSPLANTING.  83 

then  put  in  another  vine  in  the  same  way,  setting  them  so 
far  apart  that  the  roots  will  not  crowd ;  twelve  to  eighteen 
inches  will  usually  be  sufficient. 

Oae  person  may  plant  while  another  fills  up  the  trench. 
When  one  trench  is  filled,  proceed  the  same  way  with 
another,  always  being  careful  to  have  each  trench  dug 
descending  the  same  way,  so  that  the  vines  will  be  uni- 
formly on  either  the  right  or  left  side  of  the  trench.  Then, 
when  the  vines  are  to  be  taken  up  in  the  fall,  it  will  only 
be  necessary  to  examine  one  vine  to  ascertain  on  which 
side  the  greater  part  of  its  roots  is  to  be  found,  and  the 
workmen  can  then  proceed  systematically,  for  they  will 
know  just  where  to  dig  and  thus  be  able  to  avoid  in- 
juring the  roots.  The  rows  of  vines  should  be  four  feet 
apart,  which  gives  plenty  of  room  to  work  between  them 
during  the  season.  When  the  vines  are  planted  and  the 
ground  about  them  leveled  off  evenly,  they  should  be  cut 
down  close  to  the  ground,  and  a  good  strong  stake  six  or 
seven  feet  long  be  put  by  each.  That  portion  of  the  stem 
which  is  left  generally  has  more  than  one  bud  upon  it,  each 
of  which  may  push  into  growth,  but  usually  only  the  upper 
bud  will  start ;  but  if  more  than  one  should  grow,  the 
strongest  only  should  be  allowed  to  remain,  and  when 
this  has  grown  a  few  inches  it  should  be  tied  to  the  stake. 
This  tying  will  have  to  be  attended  to  at  least  once  a  week 
throughout  a  greater  portion  of  the  season.  The  laterals 
also  must  be  pinched  back  as  often  as  they  start,  leaving 
one  leaf  the  first  time,  two  the  next,  and  so  on ;  but  usually 
two  stoppings  will  be  all  that  is  necessary. 

As  the  stopping  or  pinching  off  the  ends  of  the  laterals 
constitutes  a  greater  part  of  what  is  termed  summer  prun- 
ing, and  as  I  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  to  it  frequently 
in  the  following  pages,  the  reader  should  fully  understand 
what  is  meant  by  laterals,  and  their  mode  of  treatment,  as 
it  is  nearly  the  same  upon  vines  in  all  stages  of  their 
growth. 


THE    GRAPE    CULTUK1ST. 


Fig.  28,  E  represents  a  portion  of  a  vine  in  summer. 
Now,  while  this  vine  is  growing  it  produces  young 
branches  from  a  bud  near  the  axils  of  the  leaves  ;  that  is*, 


from  that  point  where  the  leaves  join  the  main  stem ;  f 
shows  one  of  these  young  branches,  which  is  called  a  late- 
ral ;  at  the  point  where  this  lateral  unites  with  the  main 
stem  there  is  also  a  bud.  Now  if  this  lateral  were  broken 
out  entirely  it  might  injure  this  bud,  or  cause  it  to  push 
into  growth  ;  or  if  the  lateral  is  allowed  to  grow  unchecked, 
the  strength  of  the  vine  is  divided  into  so  many  branches 
that  none  of  them  will  become  strong  or  well  ripened.  To 
prevent  this,  and  retain  as  many  leaves  for  the  elaboration 
of  the  sap  as  is  necessary  for  the  full  development  of  the 
plant,  we  pinch  off,  with  the  fore-finger  and  thumb,  the 
end  of  the  lateral  at  a,  when  it  has  made  two  or  three 


TRANSPLANTING.  85 

leaves,  taking  off  all  but  one  leaf.  If  the  vine  is  growing 
rapidly,  the  lateral  will  start  again  and  produce  a  young 
shoot  from  the  base  of  this  leaf,  and  when  it  has  grown  a 
few  inches  it  should  be  pinched  off  at  5,  leaving  one  more 
leaf;  c  shows  where  it  would  be  stopped  the  third  time, 
should  it  be  necessary ;  d  shows  a  lateral  as  it  appears 
when  first  starting.  This  checking  the  growth  of  the  late- 
rals not  only  concentrates  the  strength  of  the  plant  into 
the  main  cane,  but  it  prevents  the  formation  of  a  large 
number  of  small  thin  leaves,  which  are  of  no  benefit  to  the 
plant,  and  are  of  themselves  so  feeble  that  they  can  not 
resist  disease  like  large  and  strong  ones,  consequently  they 
are  often  attacked  while  others  escape. 

There  are  cultivators  of  the  vine  who  neither  stake  them 
or  check  the  laterals,  but  allow  them  to  grow  upon  the 
ground  in  disorder  until  they  are  wanted  for  the  vineyard. 
This  is  a  slovenly  method  at  best,  and  Vines  of  the  first 
quality  can  not  be  produced  in  this  manner,  for  it  is  not 
only  necessary  to  keep  them  tied  to  stakes  for  the  purpose 
of  concentrating  their  strength,  but  to  insure  the  ripening 
of  the  wood,  and  thereby  the  maturing  of  the  roots  as  well. 
And  it  is  a  fact  not  to  be  controverted,  that  whenever  the 
vine  has  unripened  branches,  there  is  also  a  corresponding 
number  of  immature  roots ;  and  these  are  as  likely  to  be- 
come diseased,  if  not  entirely  destroyed,  during  winter,  as 
the  unripened  branches.  Neither  will  the  leaves  on  the 
vines  that  are  left  trailing  upon  the  ground  be  so  fully 
developed  or  remain  as  healthy  as  when  the  vine  is  tied  to 
stakes,  where  the  air  can  circulate  freely  among  them,  and 
the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  reach  every  leaf. 

When  vines  have  grown  one  season  in  the  nursery  they 
ought  to  be  large  enough  to  be  transplanted  into  the  vine- 
yard; but  if  not,  then  they  should  be  cut  down  to  within 
one  or  two  buds  of  the  last  Season's  growth,  and  but  one 
cane  allowed  to  grow,  as  in  the  year  before. 

If  at  the  end  of  the  second  season  in  the  nursery  the 


86  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

vines  have  not  made  a  growth  of  from  five  to  ten  feet,  then 
we  may  rest  assured  that  there  is  something  radically 
wrong,  either  in  the  soil  or  the  vines,  and  they  should  be 
dug  up  and  either  discarded  altogether,  or  trimmed  root 
and  top,  planted  again  in  another  situation  and  treated  the 
same  as  one-year-old  plants.  But  if  the  vines  have  made 
a  vigorous  growth,  then  they  are  ready  for  the  vineyard, 
and  in  much  better  condition  for  the  purpose  than  they 
will  be  at  a  future  time.  Vines  older  than  three  years  are 
seldom  so  valuable  for  transplanting  as  those  younger. 

When  the  vines  have  arrived  at  the  proper  size  for  vine- 
yard planting,  and  so  soon  as  the  leaves  have  fallen  in  the 
autumn,  they  should  be  carefully  taken  up  by  means  of  the 
garden  fork.  Raise  the  roots  as  nearly  entire  as  possible, 
for  if  any  are  to  be  shortened  or  to  be  cut  entirely  away, 
it  is  better  to  have  all  before  the  eye  so  that  a  selection 
can  be  made,  than  to  do  it  with  the  spade  and  wholly  by 
chance.  When  the  vines  are  taken  up  they  may  be  imme- 
diately planted  in  the  vineyard,  provided  all  the  circum- 
stances connected  therewith  are  favorable ;  if  not,  they 
should  be  put  away  in  the  ground,  where  they  will  remain 
safely  during  the  winter.  This  latter  operation  is  called 

HEELING-IK 

The  usual  method  of  heeling-in  plants,  or  laying  in  by 
the  heel  (roots)  is  as  follows.  Having  selected  a  dry  and 
protected  situation,  a  trench  is  made  in  the  soil  a  foot  or 
more  deep,  and  wide  enough  to  receive  the  roots  of  the 
plants,  and  of  any  required  length,  the  soil  being  thrown 
out  upon  one  side.  The  plants  are  then  set  thickly  together 
in  the  trench,  with  the  tops  in  a  sloping  direction,  and 
against  the  bank  of  soil  thrown  out  of  the  trench ;  another 
trench  is  made  parallel  to  the^first,  and  the  soil  taken  from 
it  is  thrown  into  the  first,  covering  the  roots,  and  carefully 
filling  in  all  the  interstices  between  them.  Press  down  the 


TRANSPLANTING.  87 

soil  and  smooth  off  the  surface,  so  that  water  shall  not 
lodge  thereon.  When  one  trench  is  finished,  set  the  plants 
in  the  next,  and  proceed  as  before.  When  all  is  completed, 
dig  a  shallow  trench  around  the  whole,  so  as  to  carry  off 
the  water  and  keep  the  situation  dry. 


Fig.  29. 

Fig.  29  shows  the  form  of  the  trenches  with  the  embank- 
ment against  which  the  vines  are  placed.  But  the  trenches 
are  shown  at  a  considerable  distance  apart ;  this,  of  course, 
is  not  as  it  would  be  in  fact,  because  the  first  trench  is  filled 
up  in  making  the  second,  so  that  the  trenches  are  actually 
joined  together  side  by  side,  atid  the  vines  in  the  two  rows 
need  not  be  more  than  a  foot  apart.  The  entire  vine  may 
be  covered,  if  desirable,  to  protect  the  top  from  being 
injured  by  cold  (the  dotted  line  over  both  trenches  in  the 
above  figure  shows  the  form  of  the  embankment  when  the 
whole  top  is  covered)  ;  or  the  vines  may  be  cut  back  before 
they  are  heeled-in,  but  in  either  case,  if  the  whole  vine  is 
covered,  it  is  best  not  to  do  it  too  early  in  the  fall,  nor  let 
the  earth  remain  on  too  long  in  the  spring.  It  is  also  best 
to  assort  the  vines  before  cutting  off  the  tops,  because  we 
can  better  judge  of  the  condition  of  the  roots  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  tops  than  we  can  after  they  are  removed. 
The  roots  may  be  abundant  and  large,  yet  if  they  are  not 
well  ripened  they  are  of  but  little  value,  and  it  is  not 
always  an  easy  matter  to  determine  their  condition  when 
coated  with  soil,  as  they  usually  are  when  first  taken  from 
the  ground. 


88  THE    GKAPE   CIJLTUEIST. 


CHAPTEK    XI. 

SOIL    AND    SITUATION. 

WHEN  we  take  into  consideration  the  wide  extent  of 
territory  in  which  the  grape  is  found  growing,  either  in  its 
wild  or  cultivated  state,  on  both  the  Eastern  and  Western 
continents,  we  may  well  ponder  over  the  oft-repeated  asser- 
tion, that  the  vine  does  not  succeed  over  the  whole  extent  of 
any  country,  but  only  in  certain  circumscribed  localities ; 
and  while  we  may  admit  its  truth,  we  fail  to  comprehend 
the  reasons  why  certain  soils  or  sections  of  a  country  should 
be  more  congenial  to  the  vine  than  others.  Yet  the  fact 
that  success  does  attend  its  cultivation  in  particular  loca- 
tions, while  it  entirely  fails  in  others,  is  patent  to  every 
casual  observer.  Whether  these  failures  are  attributable 
to  the  injudicious  selection  of  varieties,  or  to  the  mode  of 
culture,  is  not  always  easy  to  determine.  That  the  climate 
of  both  the  Northern  and  Southern  States,  as  well  as  that 
portion  of  the  United  States  lying  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  is  congenial  to  the  vine,  is  abundantly  proved 
by  the  numerous  varieties  found  growing  wild  over  this 
vast  region  of  country.  No  doubt  there  are  particular 
varieties  which  are  better  suited  to  one  section  than  to 
another,  and  that  the  same  situation  and  exposure  that 
would  be  most  suitable  for  a  vineyard  at  the  South,  might 
be  the  worst  that  could  be  selected  for  the  North. 

A  situation  protected  from  the  cold  north  winds,  so  as  to 
insure  sufficient  heat  to  mature  the  fruit,  is  always  desira- 
ble in  a  cold  climate  ;  but  in  a  hot  one  the  heat  may  be  so 
great  as  to  exhaust  the  powers  of  the  vine  by  a  too  rapid 
evaporation  from  its  leaves,  and  it  consequently  fails. 


SOIL   AND    SITUATION.  89 

Nearly  all  the  writers  on  grape  culture  recommend  the 
declivities  of  hills  and  mountains  inclining  to  the  south  as 
the  best  exposure  for  a  vineyard ;  and  the  next  in  order 
are  the  southeast,  east,  southwest,  but  never  a  north  or  a 
full  western  exposure.  Virgil  said,  "  Nor  let  thy  vineyard 
bend  toward  the  sun  when  setting,"  and  these  words  are 
as  applicable  at  the  present  time  as  they  were  two  thou- 
sand years  ago. 

A  full  southern  exposure  is  no  doubt  preferable  in  the 
Northern  States,  and  if  the  land  descends  to  the  south,  so 
much  the  better  ;  but  if  very  steep,  it  will  cost  more  to  pre- 
pare and  keep  in  order  than  if  it  is  level.  While  I  admit 
that  a  side-hill  is  a  very  desirable  location  for  a  vineyard, 
I  am  quite  certain  that  there  are  many  situations  equally 
good  that  are  perfectly  level  or  nearly  so. 

I  have  often  observed  that  the  success  of  a  vineyardist 
was  attributed  to  his  soil  and  situation,  but  never  to  the 
skill  of  the  cultivator  or  to  the  varieties  grown,  and  this, 
no  matter  whether  his  soil  was  light  or  heavy,  or  the  situ- 
ation low  or  elevated.  Still,  we  know  that  soil  and  situa- 
tion have  often  much  influence  upon  the  growth  and  quality 
of  the  fruit ;  for  the  instances  of  such  an  effect  being  pro- 
duced are  too  common  in  Europe,  at  least,  to  aUow  us  to 
deny  its  truth. 

In  selecting  a  situation  for  a  vineyard,  all  the  surround- 
ings should  be  closely  observed  and  taken  into  account. 
If  the  land  has  no  protection  from  the  north  and  northwest, 
see  what  the  facilities  are  for  supplying  one  either  by  walls 
or  a  belt  of  trees.  [If  trees  are  to  be  used,  evergreens  are 
best,  and  often  the  small  trees  may  be  had  in  the  woods 
near  by — we  now  refer  to  the  Northern  States.]  '  See  that 
the  land  is  sufficiently  elevated,  thirty  to  forty  feet  at  least 
above  streams  or  ponds  of  water ;  for,  if  near  the  level  of 
small  bodies  of  water,  the  situation  will  very  likely  be  sub- 
ject to  early  and  late  frosts. 

Large  bodies  of  water  are  not  so  injurious  as  small,  as 


90  THE   GKAPE    CULTUEIST. 

they  absorb  heat  in  such  quantities  during  summer  and 
give  it  off  slowly  in  the  fall;  this  affects  the  surrounding 
country  very  materially  by  preventing  early  frosts.  In 
gpring,  the  water  being  cold,  it  keeps  the  atmosphere  cool 
for  quite  a  distance  from  the  shore,  and  thereby  prevents 
vegetation  starting  so  early  as  it  otherwise  would. 

This,  I  have  always  observed,  was  the  case  on  Long 
Island ;  we  seldom  have  frost  as  early  in  the  fall  as  they 
do  a  few  miles  back  on  the  mainland,  and  vegetation  does 
not  come  forward  so  early  in  spring  as  to  be  cut  off  by  late 
frosts. 

When  the  soil  is  sandy  or  gravelly,  it  will  require  an  ap- 
plication of  some  organic  materials,  either  in  the  form  of 
barnyard  manure,  muck,  or  leaf-mold.  The  latter  two  can 
often  be  readily  obtained,  where  the  former,  in  any  con- 
siderable quantity,  would  be  out  of  the  question,  or  would 
be  so  expensive  that  it  would  very  much  lessen,  if  not  en- 
tirely absorb,  the  profits  of  the  vineyard.  There  are 
thousands  of  acres  of  sandy  or  gravelly  lands  in  the  Eastern 
States  that  would  make  the  very  best  vineyards  in  the 
country,  simply  by  applying  the  enriching  materials  that 
are  to  be  found  in  abundance  in  their  immediate  vicinity. 

Strange  to  say,  these  lands  are  now  considered  almost 
worthless,  because  barnyard  or  special  manures  (as  they 
are  called)  can  not  be  had  sufficiently  cheap  to  make  them 
profitable  for  cultivation.  While  a  sandy  soil  may  not 
naturally  produce  the  most  luxuriant  growth,  it  is  certain 
that  it  produces  fruit  of  the  richest  quality.  Such  soils  are 
moderately  favorable  to  the  growth  of  the  vine,  are  easily 
worked,  and  do  not  retain  an  excess  of  moisture,  as  they 
are  thoroughly  underdrained  by  nature. 

Both  granitic  and  limestone  soils  are  excellent  for  the 
vine,  and  as  they  are  usually  what  is  termed  strong  soil, 
they  need  but  little  more  than  a  slight  change  in  their  me- 
chanical condition,  which  is  readily  accomplished  by  plow- 
ing or  trenching.  And  here  let  me  remark,  that  very  often 


SOIL   AND    SITUATION.  91 

the  mechanical  texture  of  the  soil  has  more  to  do  with  suc- 
cess or  failure  than  do  the  ingredients  it  contains. 

A  moderately  loose  and  friable  soil,  whether  it  be  loam, 
sand,  gravel,  or  the  debris  of  rocky  hillsides,  especially  if  of 
a  calcareous  nature,  are  to  be  chosen  in  preference  to  clay 
or  muck.  These  latter  may  be  somewhat  reclaimed  and 
made  available  by  underdraining,  trenqhing,  etc.,  yet  in  a 
majority  of  cases  they  prove  unsatisfactory  in  the  end. 

The  soils  in  many  portions  of  the  Western  States,  and  in 
some  portions  of  the  others  that  have  but  recently  been 
brought  under  cultivation,  need  no  addition  of  fertilizing 
materials. 

New  soils  are  to  be  preferred  to  those  that  have  long 
been  in  cultivation ;  for  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  supply 
artificially  to  worn-out  soils  the  lacking  materials  in  a  form 
so  perfectly  adapted  to  the  wants  of  plants  as  that  which 
they  originally  possessed.  I  am  well  aware  that  some 
agricultural  chemists  have  endeavored  to  impress  upon  the 
minds  of  cultivators  the  importance  of  analyzing  the  soil, 
in  order  to  ascertain  what  particular  ingredients  it  may 
need,  or  what  it  may  possess  in  too  great  an  abundance  to 
produce  any  particular  crop  or  plant  in  perfection.  And 
while  I  admit  that  chemists  may  sometimes  determine 
when  there  is  an  excess  of  any  particular  constituent 
(which  practical  men  will  often  do  by  merely  looking  at 
it),  I  have  yet  to  learn  that  analytical  chemists  can  tell  how 
little  of  any  particular  ingredient  is  needed  for  any  partic- 
ular crop.  An  acre  contains  43,560  square  feet  of  surface, 
and  if  we  call  the  soil  a  foot  deep  (and  there  are  few  plants 
that  do  not  penetrate  deeper  than  this),  then  there  will  be 
that  number  of  cubic  feet.  A  cube  foot  of  ordinary  soil 
will  weigh  from  75  to  100  pounds — we  will  call  it  80 
pounds — this  gives  3,484,800  as  the  weight  of  an  acre  of 
soil  one  foot  deep.  There  are  circumstances  of  frequent 
occurrence  when  a  farmer,  by  adding  100  pounds  of  some 
particular  material  to  an  acre  of  grain,  will  increase  the 


92  THE   GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

crop  twenty-five  per  cent.  And  certainly  it  is  not  reason- 
able to  suppose,  nor  do  I  think  that  any  theorist  will 
maintain,  that  it  is  among  the  possibilities  of  chemical  sci- 
ence to  detect  even  a  trace  of  100  pounds  of  a  substance 
in  3,484,800,  yet  plants  will  detect  it. 

I  make  these  remarks  because  I  have  seen  men,  when 
looking  for  a  situation  on  which  to  plant  a  vineyard,  who 
were  very  particular  to  have  the  soil  analyzed  by  some 
celebrated  chemist  before  they  would  purchase  or  plant. 
I  do  not  wish  to  depreciate  the  science  of  agricultural 
chemistry,  for  it  has  been  one  of  the  powerful  auxiliaries  in 
the  advancement  of  agriculture,  but  I  would  warn  those 
who  implicitly  rely  on  all  the  theories  advanced,  that  they 
may  ask  too  much  of  it,  and  thereby  be  led  astray. 

PREPARING  THE   SOIL: 

The  manner  of  preparing  the  ground  for  a  vineyard  de- 
pends entirely  upon  the  kind  of  soil  and  its  natural  condi- 
tion. If  it  is  heavy  and  compact,  the  first  step  wih1  be  to 
underdrain  it  either  with  stone  drains  or  tile. 

The  number  of  drains  required,  and  the  depth  to  which 
they  should  be  laid,  will  also  depend  somewhat  upon  the 
nature  of  the  soil  and  the  amount  of  water  to  be  carried 
off.  If  the  land  has  springs  in  it,  then  the  drains  should  be 
placed  so  as  to  cut  them  off  near  their  source  and  prevent, 
as  much  as  possible,  the  excess  of  water  from  spreading. 

But  soils  containing  springs,  except  they  be  gravelly, 
should  be  avoided,  as  they  are  perhaps  the  most  unsuitable 
that  could  be  selected.  There  are  also  many  soils  that  are 
called  dry  that  should  be  underdrained,  especially  if  they 
are  inclined  to  heavy  loam  or  clay,  not  so  much  to  carry 
off  the  water,  but  to  aerate  the  soil — that  is,  allow  the  air  tc 
penetrate  and  circulate  through  it ;  for  air  always  carries 
with  it  more  or  less  heat  and  moisture,  and  if  the  mechan- 
ical texture  of  the  soil  is  such  as  to  readily  admit  air,  then 


SOIL    AND     SITUATION.  93 

it  will  be  more  likely  to  be  in  a  condition  to  transmit 
moisture  rapidly,  but  not  to  hold  a  superabundance. 

Drains  are  usually  placed  from  20  to  40  feet  apart,  and 
three  to  four  feet  deep,  according  to  soils,  situation,  and  the 
crop  to  be  grown  on  the  land.  For  vines,  the  drains  should 
be  placed  deeper  than  for  ordinary  farm  crops,  else  the  roots 
will  soon  penetrate  to  and  fill  them.  To  describe  the  differ- 
ent  kinds  of  materials  used  in  draining  lands,  as  well  as  the 
manner  of  laying,  cost,  etc.,  would  occupy  too  much  of  our 
space,  and  we  must  refer  those  of  our  readers  who  wish  to 
plant  a  vineyard  upon  soils  that  require  draining,  to  those 
works  that  treat  particularly  on  this  subject. 

When  vines  are  to  be  planted  upon  steep  hillsides  or 
upon  stony  soils,  the  only  thorough  method  of  preparing 
the  soil  is  by  trenching.  This  is  done  by  digging  across 
the  field  to  be  planted  a  trench  two  feet  wide  and  two  feet 
deep — some  recommend  three  feet  or  more  ;  but  if  it  is  full 
two  feet  it  will  generally  be  deep  enough,  and  deeper  than 
nine  out  of  ten  do  actually  trench  when  they  say  three  feet. 
After  the  soil  has  been  thrown  out  upon  one  side  of  the 
trench,  a  parallel  strip  of  soil,  of  the  same  width  of  the 
trench,  is  thrown  into  it,  and  by  this  means  the  soil  is  in- 
verted, the  top  or  surface  soil  being  placed  at  the  bottom, 
and  in  this  way  one  trench  is  dug  to  fill  up  another,  until 
the  whole  field  is  trenched  over.  The  soil  taken  from  the 
first  trench  will  consequently  remain  on  the  surface  above 
the  level  of  the  surrounding  soil,  and  there  is  no  soil  to  fill 
the  trench  last  made.  It  is  usual,  on  level  ground,  to  take 
the  soil  that  was  dug  out  from  the  first  trench  and  put  it 
in  the  last ;  but  to  do  this  is  often  inconvenient,  and  I  have 
yet  to  see  a  piece  of  land,  of  any  considerable  size,  without 
a  spot  somewhere  upon  it  where  the  soil  thrown  out  of  the 
first  trench  would  not  improve  it  by  filling  it  up ;  and  if 
the  trenching  is  finished  off  upon  the  higher  portion  of  the 
field,  the  trench  last  made  may  be  filled  up  from  the  ad- 
joining soil  without  injuring  its  looks.  It  does  not  mat- 


94  THE    GRAPE    CULTUEIST. 

ter  where  we  begin  to  trench,  whether  in  the  middle  or  at 
one  side  of  the  field. 

This  inverting  the  soil,  as  described,  is  the  simplest 
method  of  trenching,  and  is  as  efficient  as  any,  provided 
the  subsoil  is  not  of  a  character  so  inferior  that  it  will  not 
be  rendered  suited  to  the  growth  of  plants  by  being  ex- 
posed a  few  months  to  the  atmosphere.  The  subsoils  of 
light  sandy  soils  are  often  richer  than  the  surface,  as  a  great 
portion  of  the  enriching  materials  that  have  been  applied 
to  the  surface  has  been  carried  down  by  the  rains  to  the 
subsoil  below.  But  the  natural  richness  of  the  subsoil 
when  thrown  upon  the  surface  should  seldom  be  depended 
upon,  but  manure  must  be  added,  and  thoroughly  incorpo- 
rated with  it  before  planting. 

There  are  many  circumstances  in  which  the  soil  may  be 
inverted  to  the  depth  of  two  feet  with  benefit — such  as 
sandy  or  light  loamy  soils,  or  where  manure  can  be  liber- 
ally applied,  and  a  year  be  given  for  the  amelioration  of 
the  condition  of  the  subsoil  before  planting.  Where  these 
circumstances  do  not  exist,  it  is  best  not  to  throw  the  sub- 
soil on  top,  but  to  mix  it  with  the  surface-soil  at  the  time 
of  trenching. 

To  do  this  thoroughly  and  conveniently,  the  workmen 
should  stand  in  the  trench,  and  keep  an  open  space  at  the 
bottom  on  which  to  stand.  Then,  by  digging  down  the 
bank  and  throwing  it  over  against  the  opposite  side,  break 
up  the  lumps  at  the  same  time ;  the  soil  may  not  only  be 
thoroughly  pulverized,  but  the  surface-soil  and  subsoil 
will  become  thoroughly  intermingled. 

A  five-tined  spading-fork  is  the  best  implement  for 
trenching  unless  the  soil  is  very  hard  and  stony,  in  such 
cases  the  spade  and  pick  must  be  used. 

Although  trenching  is  indispensable  upon  very  hard  and 
stony  soils  and  upon  steep  side-hills,  on  level  situations  or 
those  with  only  a  moderate  inclination  (and  they  are 
always  preferable)  the  plow  may  take  the  place  of  the 


SOIL    AND    SITUATION.  95 

spade,  and  it  will  very  much  lessen  the  expense  ot  prepara- 
tion. If  the  soil  is  stirred  to  the  depth  of  twenty  inches, 
which  it  may  be  by  using  a  subsoil  plow,  it  will  be  as  deep 
as  is  really  necessary  to  insure  a  good  and  healthy  growth 
of  vine. 

I  do  not  believe  that  it  is  desirable  to  encourage  the 
roots  to  penetrate  to  a  great  depth,  especially  in  a  northern 
climate,  for  when  the  roots  penetrate  deeply  they  do  not 
come  into  full  action  until  late  in  the  season,  and  they  also 
continue  to  act  late  in  the  autumn,  thus  preventing  the 
early  ripening  of  the  wood. 

If  the  soil  is  not  naturally  rich,  spread  the  manure  upon 
the  surface  before  plowing,  then  turn  it  under  with  the 
surface  plow,  and  let  the  subsoil  plow  follow  in  the  same 
furrow,  breaking  up  the  subsoil.  After  the  ground  has 
been  all  plowed  over  in  this  way,  then  cross-plow  it  in  the 
same  manner ;  this  will  insure  a  thorough  breaking  up  of 
the  soil  and  mixing  of  the  manure  with  it.  When  the 
land  has  been  both  plowed  and  cross  plowed,  if  it  is  then 
gone  over  with  the  cultivator  it  will  still  benefit  it  very 
much,  as  it  will  break  to  pieces  the  lumps  which  will  be 
left  unbroken  after  even  the  most  thorough  plowing. 

We  should  always  endeavor  to  make  thorough  work  in 
the  preparation  of  the  soil  before  planting  the  vine,  for  it  is 
not  an  ordinary  crop  that  we  are  to  plant,  nor  one  that 
necessitates  a  seed-time  to  each  harvest,  but  it  is  one  that 
requires  but  one  planting  in  a  lifetime,  yet  it  will  reward 
us  with  many  harvests. 

There  are  very  few  soils  that  a  person  of  good  judgment 
will  select  that  will  need  any  further  preparation  than  that 
which  can  be  done  with  the  plow,  with  the  addition,  per- 
haps, of  underdraining.  Manures,  of  course,  must  be 
applied  where  the  soil  is  not  rich  enough  without  them. 


yb  THE    GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

MANURES  AND  THEIR  APPLICATION. 

The  quantity  of  manure  required  by  an  acre,  to  fit  it  to 
produce  a  strong  and  healthy  growth  of  vine,  can  not  be 
known  until  the  fact  has  been  ascertained  by  actual  experi- 
ment upon  each  individual  piece  of  land,  and  the  vineyard- 
ist  only  can  be  the  judge  in  the  matter.  But  it  is  always 
best  to  be  on  the  safe  side  and  put  on  enough,  because  the 
vine  will  soon  exhaust  the  surplus  if  any;  while  if  too  little 
is  given,  a  complete  failure  may  be  the  result.  As  vines 
seldom  starve  to  death  the  first  season,  although  their 
growth  may  be  small  and  weak,  if  supplied  with  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  the  proper  fertilizers  the  second  year,  they 
may  not  only  li ve  but  finally  become  strong  and  productive, 
at  a  loss  to  the  cultivator  of  a  year's  growth,  the  penalty 
for  his  ignorance  or  negligence. 

In  ah1  sandy,  gravelly,  and  light-loam  soils  there  is 
usuaDy  a  want  of  organic  materials,  and  that  want  must 
be  supplied  by  applying  muck,  leaves,  leaf-mold  from  the 
woods,  sods,  or  barnyard  manure,  or  it  may  be  supplied 
by  growing  clover  or  some  other  similar  crop  and  turning 
it  under  while  green.  When  muck  or  leaves  are  used,  it 
is  best  to  compost  them  with  barnyard  manure.  This 
may  be  done  by  spreading  the  materials  over  the  barn- 
yard a  foot  deep,  and  then  spread  the  manure  over  it  and 
let  the  cattle  tread  it  in ;  and  when  the  manure  has  accumu- 
lated to  the  depth  of  six  inches,  spread  on  another  foot,  and 
so  until  it  is  three  or  four  feet  deep ;  then  it  should  all  be 
forked  over  and  mixed  together.  If  the  whole  is  under 
cover  it  is  better ;  but  it  is  not  very  essential,  unless  manure 
is  very  scarce  and  valuable.  The  muck  absorbs  all  the 
liquid  portions  of  the  manure  and  prevents  waste,  and  a 
compost  of  three-fourths  muck  or  of  the  other  materials 
named  and  one-fourth  barnyard  manure  is  more  valuable 
for  a  light  soil  than  if  the  whole  amount  were  barnyard 
manure. 


SOIL    AND    SITUATION.  97 

When  it  is  not  convenient  to  make  the  compost  heap  in 
the  barnyard  it  may  be  made  anywhere  in  the  fields,  by 
first  laying  down  a  foot  in  depth  of  any  of  those  materials 
and  then  drawing  out  the  manure  and  spreading  it  over 
the  surface,  putting  on  alternate  layers  until  a  sufficient 
quantity  is  obtained.  The  compost  heap  should  be  kept 
level  on  the  top  or  a  little  inclined  toward  the  center,  so 
that  it  shall  receive  the  water  that  falls  upon  it.  This  will 
cause  it  to  decompose  more  rapidly  than  if  the  water  did 
not  penetrate  it. 

The  compost  should  be  frequently  turned  over,  so  that 
it  may  become  fine  before  it  is  wanted  for  use.  It  will 
seldom  be  fit  to  use  in  less  than  six  months,  and  it  is  better 
to  let  it  remain  one  year.  Ashes  may  be  applied  to  the 
compost  at  any  time  with  •  benefit ;  also  ground  bones, 
charcoal,  horn  shavings,  offal  from  the  butcher's,  refuse 
from  rope-walks,  woolen  and  cotton  factories,  etc. ;  in  short, 
almost  any  such  materials  may  be  mixed  in ;  they  are  all 
good,  but  not  positively  necessary,  nor  worth  while  spend- 
ing any  great  amount  of  money  or  time  to  obtain.  Lime 
and  ashes  are  both  very  beneficial  to  light  soils,  but  they 
may  be  applied  alone,  and  upon  the  surface  of  the  soil  after 
the  vines  are  planted.  Lime  especially  should  be  applied 
in  this  manner,  as  it  descends  rapidly  into  the  soil  and 
needs  no  mixing  with  it ;  besides,  when  applied  upon  the 
surface  it  will  often  assist  in  the  destruction  of  the  larvae 
of  insects,  in  the  decomposition  of  vegetable  matter,  etc. 
Shell  lime  is  considered  the  best,  but  the  difference  is  so 
slight  that  it  will  not  pay  to  transport  it  any  great  distance 
if  stone  lime  can  be  had  near  at  hand. 

The  compost  should  be  spread  upon  the  soil  and  plowed 
in  as  has  been  described,  before  the  vines  are  planted. 

The  quantity  may  vary  from  fifty  to  five  hundred  two- 
horse  wagon-loads  per  acre,  but  it  is  not  judicious  to  put 
on  too  much  at  first,  as  it  will  cause  a  rampant  growth ; 


98  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

it  is  not  desirable  to  produce  such,  as  it  will  be  trouble- 
some to  keep  it  in  check  when  we  come  to  train  the  vine. 

It  is  better  to  apply  sufficient  to  give  the  vines  a  good 
start  and  apply  more  in  after-years  as  needed. 

There  are  sections  of  the  country  where  there  are  sandy 
and  gravelly  soils  that  are  well  suited  for  vineyards,  but 
barnyard  manure  can  not  be  obtained.  If  either  muck, 
mud  from  streams,  or  leaf-mold  can  be  had,  they  may  be 
used  without  the  barnyard  manure,  but  they  should  be 
placed  in  heaps  where  they  can  be  forked  over  occasionally 
so  that  they  will  become  sweetened,  as  it  is  termed,  before 
using ;  and  it  is  well  to  mix  a  quantity  of  lime  or  ashes 
•with  them,  to  assist  the  decomposition.  A  bushel  of  salt 
to  every  ten  or  fifteen  loads  may  also  be  added  with  benefit. 

Soils  that  are  more  compact,  such  as  are  called  heavy 
loam,  or  approaching  a  clay,  do  not  need  so  much  of  the 
organic  materials  as  those  called  light  soils,  as  most  of  them 
contain  more  or  less  of  them ;  but  they  require  thorough 
pulverizing ;  after  which,  if  a  good  dressing  of  well-rotted 
barnyard  manure  is  added,  little  more  is  needed  before 
planting  the  vine.  Any  soil  that  will  produce  a  first-rate 
crop  of  corn  or  potatoes  is  rich  enough  for  vines.  A  few 
shovelfuls  of  manure,  or  two  or  three  quarts  of  bone-dust 
may  be  mixed  with  the  soil  when  the  vine  is  planted, 
especially  if  the  vine  is  not  one  of  the  strong  growing  varie- 
ties. And  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  mention  here  that 
there  is  a  great  difference  in  the  growth  of  varieties,  and 
the  soil  should  be  prepared  with  reference  to  this  fact. 
Some  kinds  would  entirely  fail  upon  soils  which  would  be 
rich  enough  for  others.  If  we  should  make  the  soil  rich 
enough  to  produce  a  strong  growth  on  a  feeble  growing 
variety,  and  then  plant  it  with  a  strong  growing  one,  there 
would  not  only  be  a  waste  of  materials  and  labor,  but  the 
rampant  growth  produced  would  be  an  abomination  to  the 
vineyardist  when  he  came  to  train  his  vines ;  for  he  not 
only  endeavors  to  train  them,  but  to  control  their  growth. 


SOIL   AND    SITUATION.  99 


SPECIAL  MANURES. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  manures  known  as  "  special," 
some  of  which  are,  no  doubt,  valuable;  but  where  those 
materials  which  have  been  mentioned  can  be  obtained, 
there  will  be  no  necessity  of  looking  after  the  specially 
concentrated  manures.  Guano,  poudrette,  superphosphate 
of  lime,  etc.,  may  occasionally  be  used  with  benefit  to  give 
the  vine  a  start  when  first  planted,  but  it  is  doubtful 
whether  it  would  be  judicious  or  economical  to  depend 
entirely  upon  any  of  them  to  carry  it  through  a  succession 
of  years.  I  have  found  fine  ground  bones  to  be  a  safe  and 
not  very  expensive  stimulant  for  the  vine.  I  use  two  to 
four  quarts  to  each  vine  when  planting,  mixing  it  with  the 
soil  immediately  about  the  roots. 

After  a  vineyard  is  planted,  manuring  must  not  be  neg- 
lected, for  the  vine  needs  not  only  to  be  supplied  with 
food  at  the  start,  but  it  will  want  feeding  continually,  if  it 
continues  to  grow  and  bear  fruit.  How  often  it  will  need 
a  supply  the  vineyardist  must  be  the  judge.  All  that  is 
required  is  to  keep  up  a  healthy  growth.  Too  much  ma- 
nure may  increase  the  size  of  the  fruit,  but  it  will  injure 
its  quality.  The  manure  may  always  be  applied  upon  the 
surface  and  worked  in  with  the  cultivator  or  hoe,  but  the 
plow  should  never  be  admitted  into  a  vineyard,  as  it  will 
cause  more  injury  than  benefit. 

Frequent  and  regular  top-dressings  of  manure  are  better 
than  large  applications  at  long  intervals.  Rank  unfer- 
mented  manures  should  not  be  used  for  this  purpose,  as 
they  will  often  injure  the  flavor  of  the  fruit ;  besides,  they 
will  more  or  less  affect  the  health  of  the  leaves. " 

Upon  very  open  and  porous  soils  a  mulching  of  leaves, 
straw,  tan-bark,  or  similar  materials  will  be  very  beneficial, 
but  upon  more  compact  soils  it  is  better  to  keep  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil  open  by  frequently  stirring  it  with  the  hoe 


100  THE   GRAPE   CCLTURIST. 

or  cultivator,  so  that  it  will  the  more  readily  admit  the  air, 
and  with  it  heat  and  moisture.  When  such  soils  become 
surcharged  with  water,  as  they  frequently  do  during  long 
rains,  they  will  give  off  much  of  the  surplus  moisture  if  the 
surface  is  kept  open  and  uncovered;  but  when  they  are 
covered  with  a  mulch,  they  retain  too  much  near  the  sur- 
face, and  the  soil  will  become  soured  and  the  surface  roots 
be  destroyed  in  consequence.  With  all  the  care  that  may 
be  bestowed  upon  the  vine  in  regard  to  soils,  manures,  etc., 
much  will  still  depend  upon  the  system  of  pruning  and 
training  adopted. 


STEM    APPENDAGES.  101 


CHAPTER    XII. '^ 

STEM  APPENDAGES. 

THEEE  are  various  appendages  to  the  stem  of  the  vine, 
such  as  spines,  hairs,  etc.,  which  are  of  service  to  the  bota- 
nist, as  they  assist  him  in  determining  the  different  species, 
varieties,  etc. ;  but  those  that  are  of  the  most  interest  to 
the  practical  vineyardist  are  the  laterals,  leaves,  tendrils, 
and  buds. 

The  mode  of  treating  laterals  has  been  given  in  a  pre- 
ceding chapter,  in  which  it  was  shown  how  they  may  be- 
come injurious  or  beneficial  to  the  vine,  according  to  the 
will  of  the  vineyardist.  Leaves  are  the  most  conspicuous 
appendage  of  the  vine,  and  they  are  of  the  greatest  import- 
ance, as  it  can  not  exist  without  them.  They  are  some- 
times called  the  lungs  of  plants,  and  many  beautiful  theories 
have  been  brought  forward  in  accordance  with  the  simili- 
tude. Their  chief  office  appears  to  be  to  assimilate  materi- 
als which  are  taken  up  by  the  roots,  and  to  do  this  it  is 
necessary  that  their  surface  should  be  exposed  to  light. 
The  greater  surface  of  leaves  that  a  vine  exposes  to  the 
sun,  the  greater  power  will  it  have  to  take  up  liquids  from 
the  soil,  and  with  them  those  constituents  which  go  to 
make  up  the  whole  structure  of  the  vine. 

This  being  the  fact,  it  can  readily  be  seen  how,  by  di- 
minishing the  number  of  leaves,  we  check  growth,  or  vice 
versa.  But  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  simply  taking 
off  a  portion  of  leaves  will  not  always  actually  diminish  the 
strength  of  the  vine ;  for  instance,  if  they  are  much  crowd- 
ed, one  portion  may  shade  the  other,  and  all  may  be  small, 
feeble,  and  of  little  use.  If  a  part  of  these  are  removed, 


102  THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

those  remaining  expand,  and  one  leaf  may  become  of  more 
importance  to^the  vine  than  a  dozen  when  crowded. 

0, This,  is,  way  w&. pinch  off,  thin  out,  etc.  ;  for  the  results 
of  r,these  ccger&ticns  show  that,  when  under  cultivation, 
vines  will  prcdu-be  a  larger  number  of  leaves  than  are  ne- 
cessary to  secure  the  proper  development  and  health  of  the 
plant. 

Although  the  general  appearance  and  structure  of  vine 
leaves  are  very  similar,  yet  there  is  a  great  difference  in 
the  relative  power  of  leaves  of  different  varieties  to  with- 
stand the  various  changes  of  climate,  disease,  etc. ;  and  it 
is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  their  full  development 
should  be  attained  in  all  cases,  so  that  they  shall  not  be 
affected  by  the  ordinary  changes  of  the  temperature  during 
the  period  of  growth. 

FORMS  OF  LEAVES. 

To  mention  even  a  hundredth  part  of  the  various  forms 
of  vine  leaves  would  occupy  too  much  of  our  space.  But 
I  have  given  the  following  illustrations  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  the  different  characteristics  of  the  leaves  of  some 
of  the  different  species,  and  at  the  same  time  convey  a  bet- 
ter idea  of  the  meaning  of  some  of  the  terms  commonly 
employed  in  describing  the  leaves  of  the  different  kinds, 
than  could  be  done  without  engravings. 

The  leaves  are  necessarily  shown  much  smaller  than  the 
natural  size,  but  in  doing  so  I  have  endeavored  to  preserve 
their  most  prominent  features.  In  making  the  selections 
for  the  engravings  from  my  sketch-book,  I  intended  merely 
to  choose  those  which  were  quite  distinct ;  but  since  they 
were  engraved  I  have  found  that,  although  inadvertently, 
I  have  selected  those  that  are  natives  of  as  widely  separated 
portions  of  the  globe  as  completely  as  I  could  have  possi- 
bly wished  had  I  aimed  at  doing  so.  The  leaf  has  two 
distinct  portions — the  expanded  part,  or  blade,  and  the 


STEM    APPENDAGES. 


103 


leaf-stalk,  or  petiole.  The  petiole  is  attached  to  the  base 
of  the  blade,  and  the  opposite  point  is  the  apex.  The  gen- 
eral outline  of  grape  leaves  is  more  or  less  heart-shaped- 


Fig.  80.— THE  OPORTO. 

The  Oporto  (Fig.  30)  is  round,  heart-shaped ;  the  Nebraska 
(Fig.  31),  acuminate  or  pointed-heart-shaped;  while  the 
Scuppernong  (Fig.  32)  is  scarcely  heart-shaped  at  all,  but 
nearly  orbicular.  The  edges  of  the  leaves  are  variously 
notched,  and  these  markings,  as  well  as  the  general  shape, 
are  of  importance  in  distinguishing  species  and  varieties. 
It  will  be  seen,  by  comparing  the  different  figures  of  grape 
leaves,  that  the  notches  differ  not  only  in  shape  but  in 
depth.  These  divisions  upon  the  margin  when  small,  and 
shaped  like  those  in  the  leaf  of  the  Oporto,  are  called  teeth, 
and  such  leaves  are  said  to  be  dentated  or  toothed ;  here 


104: 


THE    GRAPE    CULTUKIST. 


the  leaf  is  finely  dentate,  while  in  the  Scuppernong  (Fig. 
32)  they  are  coarsely  dentate,  and  in  the  Yeddo  (Fig.  33) 
crenate  or  scolloped-toothed. 


Fig.  31.— THE  NEBRASKA. 

The  leaf  of  the  Nebraska  grape  (Fig.  31)  is  cut-toothed, 
the  divisions  being  irregular  and  sharp.  When  the  divi- 
sions are  larger  they  are  called  lobes.  In  the  Texas  Post  Oak 
grape  leaf  (Fig.  34)  1,  2,  3,  4,  5  are  lobes,  and  the  leaf  is 
said  to  be  five-lobed.  The  Yeddo  leaf  is  three-lobed,  and 
the  Nebraska  and  Oporto  are  obscurely  three-lobed.  In 


STEM    APPENDAGES. 


105 


the  Post  Oak  grape  leaf  the  lobes  1  and  5  overlap  the  leaf- 
stalk, and  these  portions  which  do  this  are  called  alae,  or 
wings ;  some  of  the  other  lobes  in  this  leaf  overlap,  but  no 


Fig.  82.— TUB  SCUPPEKNONQ 


distinctive  name  is  applied  to  them.  The  spaces  between 
the  lobes,  as  well  as  the  depression  at  the  base  of  the  leaf 
where  the  petiole  is  attached,  are  called  sinuses,  and  the 
shape  and  depth  of  these  afford  distinguishing  characters. 
These  are  the  principal  terms  used  in  describing  the  shape 
of  grape  leaves,  and  the  strikingly  different  forms  can  be 
described  so  that  they  may  be  recognized ;  but  it  is  often 
the  case  that  the  difference  in  foliage  in  distinct  varieties 
is  so  slight  that,  although  it  is  readily  perceived  by  a  prac- 
tical eye,  it  is  not  possible  to  express  these  distinctions  in 
words. 

5* 


106  THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

There  are  also  many  other  marks  that  aid  us  in  distin- 
guishing the  different  varieties — perhaps  the  most  variable 
of  these  is  color,  as  the  leaves  of  scarcely  any  two  varieties 


Fig.  33.— THE  YEDDO. 

possess  the  same  shade  of  green,  although  it  is  the  pre- 
dominant color  in  all. 

The  Scuppernong  leaf  is  a  light  green,  and  smooth  on 
both  sides,  and  shining  on  the  upper,  while  the  Post  Oak 
grape  leaf  is  a  dark,  dull  green  on  the  upper  side,  and 
rusty- woolly  on  the  under  side.  The  petiole  and  veins  of 
some  leaves  are  red,  others  dark  brown,  and  in  others  the 
red  color  pervades,  more  or  less,  the  whole  leaf.  When 
the  leaves  are  smooth  they  are  called  glabrous,  and  if  not, 


STEM    APPENDAGES. 


107 


they  are  called  pubescent — woolly,  or  hairy,  according  to 
the  degree  of  roughness.  When  the  leaves  are  merely 
smooth,  they  are  called  glabrous,  but  if  they  have  a  polished 


Fig.  84.— THE  POST  OAK. 

surface,  then  they  are  called  shining.  When  "the  leaves  are 
covered  with  a  whitish  bloom,  or  waxy  substance  that 
readily  rubs  off,  they  are  called  glaucous. 

There  is  also  a  great  difference  in  the  texture  of  leaves, 
some  are  very  thick  and  tough,  while  others  are  brittle, 
But  the  thinness  or  thickness  of  the  leaf  does  not  indicate 


108 


THE    GEAPE   CULTURIST. 


the  strength,  for  some  that  are  quite  thin  are  very  strong 
and  enduring. 

Other  characteristics  of  vine  leaves  might  be  mentioned, 
but  enough  have  already  been  given  to  show  that  there  is 
a  sufficient  number  to  enable  a  close  observer  to  distinguish 
the  different  varieties,  however  closely  they  may  be  related. 


TENDRILS. 

Tendrils  are  but  a  tortuous  elongation  of  the  woody 
fiber  of  the  stem,  and  they  preserve  their  vitality  but  one 
season. 

They  are  always  situated  directly  opposite  to  a  leaf,  and 
remain  connected  permanently  to  the  stem  until  they 


Fig.  35. 


decay ;  while  the  leaf  is  united  only  temporarily,  and  drops 
off  at  the  end  of  the  season.     In  the  wild  vine  the  tendril 


STEM    APPENDAGES. 


109 


Fig.  86. 


110  THE    GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

serves  an  important  purpose  in  assisting  it  to  climb ;  in 
the  cultivated  vine,  it  being  artificially  supported,  tendrils 
are  no  longer  needed,  and  may  be  cut  off  while  young,  as 
they  are  not  only  useless,  but  will,  if  allowed  to  remain, 
often  cause  the  vine  to  become  entangled,  and  produce 
confusion  where  order  is  necessary.  Fig.  35 — -f  shows  a 
portion  of  a  vine  with  tendril  (A)  attached,  the  end  of  the 
tendril  in  two  divisions,  one  considerably  shorter  than  the 
other ;  both  of  these,  possess  much  interest  when,  instead 
of  being  tendrils,  they  are  bunches  of  fruit. 

The  first  three  or  four  tendrils  produced  in  spring  upon 
bearing  vines  are  but  the  peduncles  or  flower-stalks  of  the 
thyrse  of  flowers,  which  eventually  becomes  a  bunch  of 
grapes.  But  if  the  elements  requisite  to  support  the  flow- 
ers and  fruit  are  not  supplied,  or  by  accident  the  proper 
amount  of  light  and  heat  is  excluded,  then  these  pe- 
duncles will  become  tendrils.  Therefore  a  tendril  may 
be  said  to  be  a  barren  peduncle,  and  a  bunch  of  fruit  a 
productive  tendril,  for  they  may  become  either  under  favor- 
able circumstances.  The  divisions  of  the  tendril  referred 
to  above  show  a  peculiar  characteristic  in  the  formation 
of  the  bunch  of  fruit,  which  is  seen  in  most  of  our  native 
as  well  as  in  many  of  the  European  varieties  of  grapes. 
The  longer  division  becomes  the  main  body  of  the  bunch, 
and  the  shorter  becomes  what  is  termed  the  shoulder. 
Fig.  36  shows  a  bunch  of  grapes  as  produced  from  a  di- 
vided productive  tendril.  This  form  of  bunch  might  be 
appropriately  called  the  natural  form,  and  certainly  it  seems 
to  carry  with  it  more  of  the  general  idea  of  a  bunch  of 
grapes  than  many  of  the  other  forms  which  are  occasionally 
seen. 

Sometimes  a  bunch  is  divided  into  several  small  clusters 
which  partly  or  entirely  surround  the  main  body ;  when 
this  occurs  they  are  called  clustered  bunches  instead  of 
shouldered.  But  as  the  bunches  of  fruit  are  more  or  less 
variable  in  the  same  kind  of  grape,  it  is  not  expected,  in 


STEM   APPENDAGES.  Ill 

describing  a  variety,  that  more  than  their  general  charac- 
ter can  be  given. 

BUDS. 

Buds  are  embryo  plants,  for  they  contain  all  the  elements 
necessary  to  insure  or  secure,  when  removed  from  the 
parent,  a  distinctive,  individual  existence.  They  contain 
the  rudiments  of  leaves  and  stem  in  a  miniature  form,  and 
growth  is  but  the  development  of  these  individual  parts. 

The  buds  of  the  vine  are  situated  at  the  axils  of  the 
leaves  only,  and  are  never  found  upon  any  other  part  of 
the  stem.  They  are  naturally  single — that  is,  produce  but 
one  shoot ;  but  vines  when  under  cultivation  often  show  a 
disposition  to  produce  a  number  of  shoots  from  a  bud,  or, 
in  other  words,  the  buds  divide  indefinitely,  and  each 
division  is  capable  of  producing  a  distinct  cane.  Fig. 
35 — e  and  c  show  a  double  bud ;  such  examples  are  often 
seen  upon  trained  vines,  and  nearly  every  bud  upon  vines 
that  have  been  checked  during  growth  will  show  the 
double  bud,  both  of  which  will  often  produce  a  shoot,  but 
seldom  of  uniform  strength.  If  a  shoot  that  has  started 
from  a  bud  is  broken  off,  others  will  immediately  start  from 
near  its  base.  These  are  said  to  grow  from  accessory 
buds.  They  are  sometimes  incorrectly  called  adventitious  ; 
but  adventitious  buds  do  not  exist  upon  the  stem  of  the 
vine  as  they  do  upon  most  other  woody  plants. 

The  word  adventitious  is  from  adventive,  implying  acci- 
dental, and  not  necessarily  pre-existing  in  form ;  and  as  I 
am  not  aware  of  any  instances  where  buds  have  been  pro- 
duced by  art  or  nature  upon  the  stem  of  the  vine,  except 
at  the  point  where  buds  originally  existed,  we  may  con- 
clude that  they  are  accessory  buds.  Buds  will  sometimes 
be  produced  from  the  lateral  roots  of  the  vine  at  the  point 
of  separation,  especially  if  they  are  of  considerable  size ; 
these  are,  strictly  speaking,  adventitious.  Although  sev- 
eral shoots  may  be  forced  to  grow  from  what  is  apparently 


112  THE    GRAPE    CULTUEJST. 

a  single  bud,  yet  it  is  seldom  judicious  to  do  so ;  for  if  the 
bud  produces  but  one  shoot,  it  will  be  much  more  vigorous 
than  if  the  strength  of  the  plant  is  divided  among  several. 
It  is  a  matter  of  considerable  moment  to  the  vineyardist 
that  all  the  main  buds  be  fully  developed,  and  especially 
those  that  are  required  for  producing  fruit  and  bearing 
canes,  as  it  is  only  from  such  buds  that  the  largest  and 
best  fruit  is  produced.  Keeping  this  fact  in  view,  every 
precaution  should  be  taken  to  preserve  the  vitality  as  well 
as  the  full  development  of  the  buds. 

Nature  has  provided  a  protection  to  the  buds  by  cover 
ing  them  with  bud-scales,  which  ordinarily  serves  to  protect 
them  against  the  sudden  changes  of  the  atmosphere  while 
they  are  dormant;  but  in  some  sections  of  the  country 
this  protection  is  insufficient,  and  their  vitality  is  either 
entirely  destroyed  or  very  much  injured.  In  such  localities 
.an  artificial  protection  must  be  furnished.  The  method 
of  applying  such  a  protection  will  be  given  in  a  future 
chapter. 


PLANTING    THE   VINE.  113 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

PLANTING  THE  VINE 

THERE  seems  to  be  as  great  a  diversity  of  opinion  among 
vineyardists  in  regard  to  the  best  time  to  plant  as  there  is 
upon  the  various  details  connected  with  planting.  My  own 
rule  is  to  plant  vines  in  the  fall  whenever  circumstances 
will  permit  me  to  do  so ;  but  if  it  is  not  convenient  to 
plant  at  that  time,  then  I  do  the  next  best  thing — that  is, 
plant  them  so  soon  in  the  spring  as  the  soil  is  in  a  condi- 
tion to  permit  of  it.  I  prefer  planting  in  the  fall,  because 
the  soil  becomes  settled  about  their  roots,  and  all  wounds 
made  upon  them  in  the  process  of  transplanting  will,  in  a 
great  measure,  become  healed,  and  very  often  new  roots 
will  issue  before  the  ground  would  permit  of  the  vines 
being  planted  in  the  spring.  Thus  they  become  all  ready 
to  commence  growing  as  soon  as  the  frost  is  out  of  the 
ground. 

The  buds  will  commence  swelling  at  the  first  approach 
of  warm  weather,  and  they  are  then  very  brittle  and  liable 
to  be  broken  off. 

I  think,  as  a  general  thing,  vines  planted  in  the  fall  will 
make  at  least  one  third  more  growth  the  first  season  than 
when  planted  in  spring.  In  very  cold  localities,  or  in  soils 
that  are  naturally  tenacious  and  heavy,  spring  planting  is 
perhaps  preferable  to  fall.  But  it  should  be  a  maxim  with 
the  vineyardist :  never  put  off  until  another  season  that 
which  may  be  safely  done  in  the  present. 

The  condition  of  the  soil  must  in  part  govern  us  in  this 
operation,  for  it  will  not  do  to  plant  the  vines  when  the 
soil  is  soaked  with  water,  for  in  that  condition  it  can  not 


114:  THE    GEAPE    CULTURIST. 

be  readily  divided  so  as  to  be  made  to  intermingle  with 
the  roots.  Nor  will  it  do  to  plant  when  the  soil  is  parched 
and  dry ;  but  it  should  be  in  that  moist  and  friable  condi- 
tion which  allows  it  to  be  easily  worked. 

ROOT  PRUNING. 

However  carefully  vines  are  taken  up  from  the  nursery, 
the  ends  of  a  greater  portion  of  the  roots  will  be  broken 
off.  These  should  be  cut  smoothly  before  planting.  It  is 
also  beneficial  to  shorten  the  roots  considerably,  especially 
if  they  are  long  and  destitute  of  branching  fibers.  Two 
feet  is  long  enough  to  leave  any  root  upon  a  two  or  three 
year-old  vine ;  longer  ones  should  be  cut  off,  not  only  to 
render  them  more  convenient  for  planting,  but  to  incite  the 
main  roots  to  throw  out  new  ones  from  their  ends  as  well 
as  from  their  sides.  The  soil  will  thereby  become  filled 
with  feeding  roots  instead  of  a  few  long  naked  ones,  that 
have  no  power  of  absorbing  food  except  through  the  small 
fibers  which  exist  only  at  their  extreme  ends.  The  soil 
within  the  radius  occupied  by  these  long  roots  is  useless  so 
far  as  furnishing  nutriment  is  concerned,  because  they  are 
not  capable  of  absorbing  it.  It  will  often  be  necessary  to 
shorten  the  roots  to  less  than  two  feet,  and  it  is  best  to  cut 
off  a  portion  of  the  ends,  no  matter  what  their  length  may 
be.  For  it  is  not  the  length  or  number  of  roots  that  deter- 
mines the  quality  of  the  vine,  but  their  condition.  If  long, 
soft,  spongy,  and  unripened  wood  and  roots  are  left  upon 
the  vine,  they  are  of  but  little  benefit  to  it  at  best,  and  they 
will  often  die,  and  in  their  decay  communicate  disease  to 
the  other  and  more  healthy  portions  of  the  plant.  This  is 
particularly  the  case  with  layers — their  roots  being  pro- 
duced late  in  the  season,  they  are  seldom  ripened  to  their 
full  length ;  hence  the  necessity  for  severely  shortening 
their  roots.  And  here,  I  believe,  is  the  chief  cause  of  so 
much  discussion  upon  the  value  of  layered  plants.  Those 


PLANTING    THE   VINE.  115 

who  obtain  properly  grown  layers  and  cut  back  the  roots 
to  at  least  one  half  their  length  before  planting,  pronounce 
them  to  .be  equal  to  plants  grown  in  any  other  way.  But 
those  who  have  pursued  the  opposite,  and  planted  them 
with  their  roots  entire,  fail  to  produce  healthy  or  vigorous 
plants,  and  therefore  condemn  them. 

Vines  will  sometimes  have  so  great  a  number  of  roots, 
that  when  transplanted  the  number  of  buds  left  upon  the 
stem  is  insufficient  to  call  them  into  action,  and  they  perish 
in  consequence ;  for  roots  will  not  remain  entirely  inac- 
tive for  any  considerable  time  during  the  growing  season 
without  suffering.  If  the  roots  are  so  crowded  that  they 
can  not  be  distinctly  separated  and  a  clear  space  be  allowed 
for  each  when  placed  in  the  ground,  then  a  portion  should 
be  entirely  removed. 

If  the  texture  of  the  soil  is  such  as  to  make  it  congenial 
to  the  growth  of  the  roots  and  permit  them  to  permeate  it 
without  hindrance,  their  course  will  be  more  inclined  to 
the  horizontal  than  the  perpendicular,  and  certainly  the 
former  position  is  more  desirable  than  the  latter.      For 
when  the  roots  spread  out  horizontally,  they  remain  near 
enough  to  the  surface  to  receive  the  full  benefit  of  all  top- 
dressings  of  manure  which  may  be  applied  to  the  vineyard. 
They  are  also  more  accessible  to  heat,  air,  and  moisture, 
than  when  they  penetrate  deeply.     And  while  it  is  desira- 
ble to  encourage  the  spreading  of  the  roots  in  every  direc- 
tion, so  as  to  occupy  every  portion  of  the  soil  and  have 
them  near  enough  to  the  surface  to  receive  all  the  benefit 
possible  from  such  a  position,  yet  we  should  not  place  them 
too  near  the  surface  at  the  time  of  planting,  nor  endeavor 
to  keep  them  there.     For  unless  the  roots  are  covered  deep 
enough  to  prevent  their  being  affected  by  sudden  atmos- 
pheric changes,  the  vine  will  surely  suffer.     Roots  that  are 
near  the  surface  appear  to  be  more  sensitive  than  those 
which  are  deeper,  and  they  are  the  first  to  start  in  the 
spring,  and  the  first  to  be  checked  by  cold  in  the  autumn, 


116  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

or  by  long  drouths  in  summer.  The  depth  to  which  roots 
should  be  covered  depends  somewhat  upon  circumstances. 
In  light  soils  they  should  be  covered  deeper  than  upon 
heavy,  because  the  air  has  a  more  ready  access  to  a  porous 
soil  than  it  has  in  one  that  is  tenacious  ;  and  while  it  is 
necessary  that  air  should  reach  the  roots,  it  is  not  judicious 
to  allow  it  to  penetrate  too  freely,  because  roots  require  a 
partially  confined  atmosphere,  and  not  one  that  has  any 
apparent  circulation.  There  is  one  class  of  cultivators  who 
advocate  deep  planting,  and  they  place  the  roots  from 
twelve  to  twenty-four  inches  deep  ;  another  class  follow 
the  other  extreme,  and  but  little  more  than  cover  the  roots 
with  earth,  and  then  depend  upon  mulching  for  the  requi- 
site protection  ;  and  although  both  of  these  extremists  offer 
many  plausible  arguments  in  support  of  their  different  the- 
ories, yet  a  middle  course,  I  am  confident,  is  the  safest  and 
best. 

HOW  TO   PLANT. 

When  a  number  of  vines  are  to  be  planted,  it  is  best  to 
dig  the  holes  before  the  vines  are  taken  into  the  field,  and 
when  they  are  taken  from  the  place  where  they  have  been 
heeled-in,  their  roots  should  be  kept  in  a  box  or  basket 
filled  with  damp  moss,  or  protected  in  some  such  manner 
from  the  air  and  sun.  The  vines  should  also  be  pruned 
before  they  are  taken  into  the  field.  Prune  the  roots,  as 
has  already  been  directed,  and  cut  off  the  stem  to  about 
eighteen  inches.  The  holes  to  receive  the  vines  should  be 
dug  in  a  circular  form,  and  from  six  to  ten  inches  deep  upon 
the  outside,  and  four  to  six  inches  in  the  center  ;  then  set 
a  good  strong  stake  in  the  center  of  the  hole,  for  unless  the 
stake  is  placed  in  position  before  the  vine  is  planted,  there 
is  great  danger  of  injuring  some  of  the  roots  of  the  vine  in 
driving  it  down  by  its  side  after  it  is  in  position.  Now 
set  the  vine  in  the  center  of  the  hole  close  by  the  stake, 
spread  out  the  roots  in  every  direction,  and  throw  on  a  lit- 


PLANTING    THE    VINE.  117 

tie  soil  as  you  proceed,  to  hold  them  in  position.  "When 
all  the  roots  are  properly  distributed,  then  fill  up  the  holes, 
pressing  down  the  soil  with  the  foot — the  weight  of  a  man 
will  not  be  too  much  pressure  to  give  the  soil  over  the 
roots.  It  requires  two  men  to  work  to  advantage  in  plant- 
ing, one  to  place  tlie  vine  in  position  and  spread  out  the 
root,  and  another  to  put  in  the  earth.  Fig.  37  shows  the 


.   Fig.  37. 

form  of  the  hole,  with  the  stake  and  vine  in  position,  ready 
to  be  filled  up.  The  roots  should  always  descend  a  little 
from  the  stem  to  their  farthest  point,  and  in  pressing  down 
the  soil  upon  them,  it  should  be  given  the  same  pressure, 
as  near  as  may  be,  along  their  whole  length.  If  the  vines 
are  planted  in  the  fall,  then  a  small  mound  of  earth  should 
be  made  around  the  stem,  so  as  to  protect  two  or  three 
buds  above  those  that  would  be  covered  if  the  ground  were 
made  level.  But  when  the  vines  are  planted  in  the  spring, 
the  hole  need  not  be  filled  quite  full,  but  a  shallow  basin 
may  be  left  about  the  stem  so  that  the  rains  shall  more 
readily  reach  the  roots.  This  basin  around  the  vine  may 
be  filled  when  the  vine  gets  well  started  into  growth. 
When  the  buds  begin  to  push  into  growth,  select  the 
strongest  and  rub  the  others  off;  a  bud  near  the  ground 
is  preferable  to  one  that  is  a  foot  above,  and  this  is  one 


118  THE   GRAPE   CULTFRIST. 

reason  why  the  vines  should  be  cut  off  quite  short  when 
planted,  as  it  makes  the  lower  buds  more  sure  to  push. 
After  the  one  bud  or  shoot  has  been  selected,  the  old  stem 
above  it  may  be  cut  off  to  within  two  inches  of  the  young 
shoot.  As  the  young  cane  grows,  keep  it  tied  to  the  stake, 
but  do  not  tie  it  so  tightly  as  to  interfere  with  its  ex- 
pansion as  it  grows.  Keep  the  laterals  stopped  according 
to  the  directions  already  given.  Stir  the  soil  about  the 
plants,  the  oftener  the  better,  and  keep  down  all  weeds. 

Bass  is  an  excellent  material  for  tying  the  vines,  as  it  is 
not  liable  to  injure  the  tender  shoots  ;  besides,  it  usually 
costs  less  than  common  twine. 

When  any  particular  vine,  or  a  number  of  them,  do  not 
grow  as  rapidly  as  desired,  they  should  receive  some  extra 
stimulant,  either  liquid  manure  from  the  barnyard,  or  a 
solution  of  some  of  the  concentrated  manures  in  water, 
giving  enough  to  completely  saturate  the  soil  to  their  roots. 
When  it  is  not  convenient  to  apply  stimulants  in  a  liquid 
form,  a  barrow  load  of  compost  may  be  spread  upon  the 
surface  about  the  vine.  We  should  endeavor  to  produce 
a  uniform  growth,  so  that  all  the  vines  in  each  row,  at  least, 
shall  be  as  nearly  of  the  same  size  as  possible. 

The  vines,  at  the  end  of  the  first  season,  will  usually  be 
large  enough  to  be  pruned  for  training,  but  many  of  the 
more  feeble  growing  varieties  will  require  another  year, 
and  they  should  be  cut  back  in  the  fall  or  winter  to  two  or 
three  buds,  only  one  of  which  should  be  allowed  to  grow, 
as  in  the  first  year. 

Layering  is  another  method  of  assisting  feeble  growing 
varieties,  and  it  may  always  be  practiced  with  the  best 
results.  The  operation  is  performed  the  same  as  that  for 
layering  grafted  vines,  described  on  page  70.  The  most 
feeble  growers  will  generally  make  a  strong  growth  the 
season  after  they  are  layered,  and  while  such  a  practice  is 
very  beneficial  to  the  feeble  growing  varieties,  it  is  entirely 
unnecessary  with  the  more  vigorous  vines,  as  they  will 


PLANTING   THE   VINE.  119 

usually  grow  as  strong  as  it  is  desirable,  and  still  have 
them  in  a  condition  easily  controlled  when  we  come  to 
train  them. 

There  are  some  propagators  who  strongly  advocate  the 
layering  the  vines  for  one  or  two  years  after  they  are 
planted  in  the  vineyard.  This  may  arise  from  the  fact  that 
they  produce-such  poor  plants  that  their  customers  would 
be  very  much  dissatisfied  with  the  results  of  their  purchase 
if  some  such  course  were  not  pursued  ;  or,  it  may  be,  that 
they  imagine  that  the  whole  object  of  planting  is  to  obtain 
a  large  growth  of  wood.  This  certainly  would  be  of  great 
importance  to  those  who  grow  vines  mainly  for  propaga- 
tion ;  but  the  vineyardist  has  a  higher  aim,  as  fruit  is  the 
object  and  not  wood.  This  practice  of  layering  the  vine 
to  promote  growth  is  an  old  European  method,  which  is 
practiced  upon  old  worn-out  soils,  where  there  is  need  of 
resorting  to  every  plan  that  will  afford  any  support  to  the 
vine.  With  our  strong  growing  varieties  and  rich  soils, 
the  practice  of  layering  all  kinds  is  certainly  not  advisable. 


120 


THE   GRAPE   CULTUEIST. 


CHAPTER    XIY. 

GRAPE  TRELLISES. 

THE  usual  manner  of  making  grape  trellises  with  wires 
running  horizontally  is  not  only  very  objectionable,  espe- 
cially when  the  vines  are  trained  with  horizontal  arms,  but 
it  is  a  much  more  expensive  method  than  the  one  shown 
in  Fig.  38,  consisting  of  two  horizontal  bars  and  perpen- 
dicular wires.  Everybody  who  has  made  trellises  in  the 


ordinary  manner  is  aware  of  the  difficulty  of  keeping  the 
wires  straight,  even  if  the  posts  to  which  they  are  fastened 
are  not  more  than  eight  feet  apart,  as  the  wires  will  con- 
tract and  expand  at  every  change  of  temperature,  being 
loose  on  hot  days  and  tight  on  cold  ones.  Besides,  much 
larger  wires  must  be  used,  if  put  on  horizontally,  to  sup- 
port the  fruit  and  the  vine.  But  the  most  serious  objection 
that  I  have  found  is,  that  the  wires,  unless  very  near  to- 
gether, are  not  where  they  are  most  needed  when  the 
young  bearing  shoots  first  start,  for  they  must  be  tied  to 
something  to  support  them  when  only  a  few  inches  long, 
or  they  are  very  liable  to  be  broken  off  by  heavy  driving 
rains.  If  the  wires  are  eight  inches  apart  (which  is  nearer 


GKAPE   TRELLISES.  121 

than  the  usual  custom  to  place  them),  the  young  shoot 
must  be  at  least  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  long  before  the 
strength  of  the  vine  will  admit  of  its  being  tied  to  the  hor- 
izontal wire ;  besides,  when  tied,  the  strings  will  allow  the 
shoot  to  slip  lengthwise  of  the  wire,  and  often  it  will  crowd 
or  become  entangled  with  its  neighbors.  To  tie  the  vine 
very  tight  to  the  wire  would  cause  it  to  become  girdled 
as  it  expanded  in  growth. 

The  above  are  but  a  few  of  the  difficulties  which  I  have 
had  to  overcome  in  using  the  common  grape  trellis  with 
horizontal  wires  or  bars,  and  to  avoid  these  difficulties  I 
have  adopted  upon  my  own  grounds  a  trellis  with  horizon- 
tal bars  and  perpendicular  wires,  shown  in  the  preceding 
illustration.  It  is  built  in  the  following  manner :  select 
posts  of  good,  hard,  durable  wood,  of  from  four  to  six 
inches  in  diameter  and  six  and  a  half  feet  long ;  set  them 
in  the  ground  two  and  a  half  feet  .deep,  and  in  a  line  with 
the  vines,  and  eight  feet  apart — that  is,  if  the  vines  are 
that  distance  apart ;  a  post  should  be  placed  between  each 
two  vines  at  equal  distance  from  each.  When  the  posts 
are  set,  nail  on  strips  two  and  a  half  to  three  inches  wide 
and  one  inch  thick,  one  strip  or  bar  being  placed  one  foot 
from  the  ground,  and  the  other  at  the  top  of  the  posts. 
Then  take  No.  16  galvanized  iron  wire  and  put  it  on  per- 
pendicularly, twisting  it  around  the  lower  and  upper  bar, 
each  wire  being  placed  just  where  the  upright  bearing 
shoots  are  to  grow.  It  is  well  not  to  put  on  the  wires 
until  the  vines  are  ready  for"  training,  and  then  lay  down 
the  arms  by  the  side  of  the  lower  bar,  and  make  a  mark  on 
it  where  each  wire  is  to  be  put,  before  fastening  the  arm ; 
then  remove  the  arms  to  one  side  while  putting  on  the 
wire.  If  a  wire  should  not  be  in  the  exact  place  where  it 
is  wanted,  it  can  be  easily  moved  to  the  right  or  left,  pro- 
vided it  is  only  twisted  around  the  bars.  The  distance 
between  these  upright  wires  will  differ  according  to  the 
variety  of  vine,  as  the  distance  between  the  buds  varies 


122  THE   GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

very  materially  in  different  varieties,  but  usually  from 
eight  to  twelve  inches  will  be  the  proper  distance,  some- 
times wiring  at  every  bud,  and  with  others  only  at  every 
alternate  one. 

It  will  readily  be  seen  that  in  this  mode  of  making  a 
trellis,  when  the  young  shoots  start  they  can  be  tied  at  any 
time  when  necessary;  and  there  is  no  need,  nor  is  it  judi- 
cious, to  tie  them  tight  to  the  wire ;  they  should  be  left  at 
least  one  inch  from  it,  the  two  shoots  being  tied  to  the  one 
wire.  The  cost  of  wire  is  less  than  when  large  horizontal 
wires  are  used.  The  arms  should  be  fastened  to  the  lower 
bar,  either  by  strips  of  leather  tacked  on  or  by  tarred 
twine  tied  around  the  arm  and  lower  bar.  It  is  impossi- 
ble for  me  to  give  anything  like  a  correct  estimate  of  the 
cost  of  building  a  grape  trellis  after  this  plan,  because  the 
different  materials  used  in  its  construction  are  very  variable 
in  price ;  besides,  that  which  would  constitute  the  greater 
part  of  the  expense  in  one  section  of  the  country  might  be 
the  least  of  it  in  another.  Galvanized  iron  wire  should 
always  be  used  in  preference  to  any  other.  It  costs  from 
three  to  five  cents  per  pound  more  than  the  common  an- 
nealed wire,  but  its  lasting  qualities  are  so  much  greater 
that  it  fully  compensates  for  the  additional  expense. 

i?  14- 16  ^S'  39  shows  the  relative  sizes  of  such 
as  are  commonly  used  for  trellises.  Nos.  14 
and  16  are  large  enough  for  the  perpendicu- 
lar wires  on  such  trellises  as  I  have  de- 
scribed; 8  and  10  are  the  sizes  used  when 
put  on  horizontally.  The  number  of 
pounds  of  wire  required  for  a  given  length 
rig.  39.  Of  trellis  may  be  readily  ascertained  by 

calculating  the  number  of  feet  required,  and  then  dividing 
the  amount  by  the  number  of  feet  in  a  pound,  which  is  as 
follows : 


No.    8.    13  feet  to  the  pound. 
No.  10.    20     "    "    " 
No.  12.    33     "    «'    " 


No.  14.  54  feet  to  the  pound. 

No.  16.  102  "    "     " 


TIME    TO   PRUNE   VINES.  123 


CHAPTER   XY. 

TIME    TO    PKUNE    VINES. 

THE  time  for  pruning  vines  will  vary  with  the  locality 
in  which  they  are  grown ;  but,  as  a  general  rule,  it  may  be 
commenced  as  soon  as  the  vine  has  shed  its  leaves  in  the 
autumn  ;  and  if  the  wood  is  to  be  used  for  propagation,  it 
is  certainly  better  if  taken  from  the  vines  before  it  has  been 
severely  frozen.  But  in  pruning  in  the  autumn  or  winter, 
the  vines  should  not  be  cut  back  to  the  bud  or  buds  that 
are  wanted  for  fruit,  but  leave  one  or  two  extra  ones  above 
them,  and  then  go  over  the  vines  a  few  weeks  before  they 
start  in  the  spring,  and  cut  off  these  extra  buds.  This 
second  pruning  I  usually  do  the  last  of  February  or  the 
first  of  March,  always  pruning  before  the  cold  weather  is 
entirely  past ;  for  if  delayed  until  the  sap  begins  to  flow 
rapidly,  it  will  issue  from  the  wounds  in  such  excessive 
quantities  as  to  materially  injure  the  vine.  If  the  vines  are 
pruned  in  the  autumn  down  to  the  bucls  which  are  wanted 
for  producing  fruiting  canes,  the  uppermost  buds  are  very 
likely  to  be  winter  killed.  Even  where  the  winters  are 
not  severe,  it  is  best  to  leave  one  extra  bud,  because  the 
sap  will  usually  recede  from  the  part  which  has  been  cut, 
and  the  end  will  become  somewhat  dried,  if  not  injured  by 
cold. 

Where  vines  are  laid  down  and  protected  in  winter,  then 
the  pruning  may  be  completed  at  once,  as  no  second  prun- 
ing will  be  necessary,  the  covering  given  to  the  vines  pro- 
tecting them  both  from  the  effects  of  the  cold  and  dryness. 
Some  vineyardists  do  not  prune  at  all  until  the  latter  part 
of  winter  or  early  spring,  in  which  case  no  extra  buds 


124:  THE    GKAPE   CTTLTUKIST. 

should  be  left.  There  is  a  theory  in  regard  to  time  of 
pruning  which  is  of  very  ancient  date,  and  as  it  has  been 
and  is  still  taken  as  a  partial  guide  by  many  cultivators  in 
pruning  not  only  the  vine,  but  other  fruit-bearing  plants,  I 
will  give  the  main  points  of  it  as  briefly  as  possible.  Ac- 
cording to  this  theory,  when  cold  weather  first  checks  the 
-growth  of  the  vine,  it  does  not  entirely  stop  the  absorption 
of  food  by  the  roots  ;  consequently  the  vine  becomes  sur- 
charged with  sap,  the  liquid  portions  of  which  are  partially 
given  off  by  evaporation  through  the  bark  and  buds,  and 
the  more  solid  portions  are  deposited  throughout  the  entire 
length  of  the  vine,  so  that  each  bud  is  equally  supplied 
with  its  quota  of  food  with  which  to  commence  vegetation 
anew  in  the  spring.  Now  suppose  a  portion  of  the  vine  is 
cut  away  early  in  the  fall,  it  is  evident  that  that  which  re- 
mains has  the  whole  root  for  its  support,  and  it  may  receive 
all  the  strength  that  would  have  been  diffused  throughout 
the  unpruned  vine.  The  few  remaining  buds  will  of  course 
put  forth  in  spring  much  more  vigorously,  and  send  out 
fruit-bearing  wood  in  greater  perfection  than  it  is  possible 
for  an  unpruned  vine  to  do. 

I  doubt  the  truth  of  this  theory ;  but,  according  to  it, 
the  rule  for  pruning  would  be  :  if  the  vine  is  weak,  prune 
early — that  is,  so  SOOH  as  it  sheds  its  leaves ;  but  if  it  is  a 
vigorous  grower  and  a  shy  bearer,  then  prune  late.  That 
pruning  the  vine  at  different  periods  produces  a  different 
result  is  no  doubt  true,  but  it  is  difficult  to  determine  just 
how  much  difference  it  makes,  because  no  two  vines  in  the 
vineyard  will  grow  two  successive  seasons  with  exactly  the 
same  vigor,  even  if  they  are  pruned  at  the  same  time  both 
years. 

PRUNING  AND  TRAINING. 

Having  endeavored  in  the  preceding  pages  to  give  the 
necessary  details  for  laying  the  foundation  of  successful 
grape  culture,  we  will  now  consider  the  best  method  of 


PRUNING   AND   TRAINING.  125 

building  up  and  completing  the  structure.  ~No  matter  how 
thoroughly  this  foundation  has  been  laid,  or  how  congenial 
are  all  the  surroundings,  unless  we  practice  a  system  of 
pruning  and  training  that  harmonizes  with  the  known  laws 
that  govern  the  growth  of  the  vine,  all  the  care  that  has 
been  or  may  be  bestowed  upon  it  will  not  bring  bountiful 
crops,  or  insure  us  against  a  partial  if  not  a  total  failure. 
The  success  of  grape  culture  in  this  country  depends  almost 
entirely  upon  a  general  diffusion  of  practical  information 
relative  to  pruning  and  training. 

There  is  certainly  much  depending  upon  the  adaptation 
of  varieties  to  different  localities  as  well  as  the  mode  of 
culture  adopted,  but  these  points  seem  to  be  better  under- 
stood than  pruning  and  training,  as  information  relative 
thereto  is  easily  conveyed  through  the  ordinary  mediums 
for  reaching  the  public.  The  interest  manifested  at  the 
present  time  in  grape  culture  owes  its  origin  in  a  great 
measure  to  the  fact  that  with  the  introduction  of  new  na- 
tive varieties  of  superior  merit,  the  attempt  to  cultivate 
foreign  varieties  in  the  open  air  has  been  discontinued, 
thereby  removing  one  great  cause  of  failure.  Many  per- 
sons who  experienced  failure  from  this  cause  pronounce 
all  attempts  at  grape  culture  in  this  country  to  be  useless. 
Another  class  of  cultivators,  having  escaped  the  foreign 
grape  fever,  have  caught  the  native  one,  and  judging  from 
observation  only,  condemn  not  only  the  foreign  varieties, 
but  all  the  modes  and  systems  ever  adopted  for  their  culti- 
vation ;  some  of  these  cultivators  are  now  groping  their 
way  in  the  dark,  following  no  system,  because  they  have 
been  unable  to  find  one  in  which  there  is  nothing  foreign. 
I  have  digressed  from  the  more  practical  part  of  my  sub- 
ject to  show  how  readily  some  will  let  their  prejudices  lead 
them  from  one  fatal  extreme  to  another. 

While  I  rejoice  that  the  time  has  come  when  no  intelli- 
gent man  in  the-  Northern  States  would  think  of  planting 
a  vineyard  with  foreign  varieties,  still  I  am  not  ready  to 


126  THE   GEAPE   CULTUEIST. 

admit  that  all  the  experience  of  the  vineyardists  of  Europe 
is  of  no  practical  value  to  us. 

The  same  laws  that  govern  the  growth  of  the  foreign 
vine  control  that  of  ours,  and  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  some  of  the  best  systems  of  training  that  have  been  so 
long  successfully  employed  in  Europe  would,  with  slight 
modification,  be  almost  as  successful  here.  I  know  that  it 
has  been  repeatedly  asserted  that  the  American  species 
and  varieties  of  the  grape  are  much  stronger  and  of  coarser 
growth  than  the  foreign  ones,  consequently  they  can  not 
be  so  readily  brought  under  control,  or  be  kept  within 
similar  limits,  without  destroying  their  usefulness.  But 
my  own  experience  and  observation  lead  me  to  think  that 
so  far  as  regards  growth  this  is  an  error,  and  that  naturally 
the  foreign  are  on  the  whole  as  vigorous  growers  as  are 
our  native  varieties.  When  grown  under  glass  they  ap- 
pear to  be  more  so,  and  whenever  they  are  grown  in  a 
favorable  situation  in  the  open  air,  they  are  not  only  strong, 
but  often  rampant  growers.  We  can  not  arrive  at  a  cor- 
rect estimate  of  what  their  natural  growth  would  be  under 
favorable  circumstances  by  what  we  see  in  the  old  vine- 
yards of  Europe,  where  the  soil  has  been  under  cultivation 
for  centuries,  or  by  observing  them  in  our  own  country, 
where  they  seldom  pass  the  first  season  without  being 
attacked  by  disease. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  follow  strictly  any  of  the 
European  systems  of  culture  or  training,  but  by  gathering 
from  foreign  experience  that  which  is  of  value  to  us,  and 
sifting  out  principles  from  prejudices,  we  may  arrive  at 
facts  which  are  very  important. 

It  is  not  necessary,  nor  would  it  be  judicious  for  us  to 
undertake  to  dwarf  the  native  vine  to  that  extreme  to 
which  it  is  carried  in  some  parts  of  Europe,  but  we  should 
stop  midway  between  it  and  the  wild  vines  of  our  forests. 
I  know  there  are  some  who  are  continually  pointing  to  the 
wild  vine  as  an  example  of  what  the  cultivated  vine  should 


PRUNING    AND    TRAINING.  127 

be,  and  they  tell  us  that  these  vines  bear  fruit  and  are  free 
from  disease.  This  we  are  ever  ready  to  admit ;  but  we 
are  not  cultivating  the  wild  vine,  but  improved  varieties, 
many  of  which  have  parted  with  much  of  their  wild  char- 
acter; and  even  if  they  had  not,  would  these  sticklers 
against  progression  be  willing  to  plant  vines  with  a  small 
seedling  parent  tree  by  the  side  of  each  for  its  support,  and 
then  wait  from  ten  to  thirty  years  for  the  vine  and  tree  to 
grow  up  together,  at  the  end  of  that  time  getting  no  more 
in  quantity  with  less  in  quality  than  they  now  compel  a 
cultivated  vine  of  three  or  four  years  to  give  them  ?  If 
they  are  willing  to  follow  nature  in  every  particular,  I  have 
not  the  least  doubt  that  any  of  the  improved  varieties  will 
be  found  to  grow  and  remain  healthy  without  pruning  or 
training.  For  my  own  part  I  take  nature  as  a  guide,  the 
only  difference  being  that  I  interpret  her  differently  from 
that  class  of  vineyardists  who  follow  no  system,  arid  thereby 
are  ever  ready  to  thwart  nature,  but  never  assisting  her. 

There  are  certain  general  principles  that  govern  the 
growth  as  well  as  the  fruit-producing  powers  of  the  vine ; 
and  while  all  the  operations  in  the  vineyard  should  be  sub- 
servient to  them,  the  details  in  carrying  out  the  necessary 
forms  may  usually  be  varied  without  materially  affecting 
the  final  results. 

The  vine  is  one  of  the  most  tractable  of  all  known  fruit- 
bearing  plants,  and  the  easiest  to  control,  although  possess- 
ing apparently  such  a  wild  and  rambling  nature. 

Its  natural  growth  is  upright,  its  tendrils  furnishing  am- 
ple means  to  assist  it  in  climbing ;  and  while  it  remains  in 
an  upright  position,  the  larger  portion  of  the  forces  of  the 
plant  are  expended  in  producing  a  growth  of  wood  and 
leaves,  while  fruit  is  produced  but  sparingly. 

This  fact  we  see  illustrated  in  the  wild  vine,  for  it 
is  not  until  it  reaches  a  position  where  it  can  spread  out 
horizontally  that  we  find  it  producing  abundant  crops. 

We  see  the  vine  in  the  forest,  spreading  over  and  envel- 


GRAPE  CTLTTKBT. 

Eke  a  mantle  the  towering  oat  or  covering  the  low 
aider  by  the  waiter  side,  its-  dusters  of  fruit  hanging  in  the 
tihade  beuaeafilL  ;  and  Inrwia  it  we  learn  several  fcndainental 
principles.  1st.  That  white  the  Heaves  requtire  a  Mi  ex- 
peisuire  to  the  son,  the  {hut  ripens  iuliy  without  it.  3d. 
That  while  the  Tine  grows  upright  it  produces  its  moist 
rigorous  growth  of  wood,  but  its  £rait-pffodueing  powers 
are  not  fuly  developed  until  it  takes  a  horirantal  position. 
3d.  That  fhnit  is  parodueed  most  abundantly  upon  the  up- 
permost branches,  and  that  it  makes  no  difference  whether 
these  upper  branches  aw  on  the  tops  of  lofty  trees  or  on 
the  humbfle  shnobu  This  proves  eoneln^ve^r  that  it  is  not, 
as  sojone  c-<3iMvatoirs  contend,  the  height  that  is  nerassaij 
fear  the  vine  to  bear  we!  ;  fer  the  firait  that  is  fifty  feet 
from  the  earth  is  no  better  than  when  it  is  at  five,  other 
being  equal.  It  only  shows  that  the  sap 
presses  to  the  top  and  Jorees  out  finott-bearing 
that  point.  I  do  not  mean  that  the  upper  buds 
a  one-year-old  came  win  produce  fruit,  for  this  they 
wiffl  seldom  do,  as  they  are  not  graMacafy  fiuit  buds;  but 
if  the  eame  is  eortt  baek  to  a  wel-develop^d  bud,  and  re- 
mains pejrpiejnidic-ailbrr  or  nearer  so,  then  the  upper  bud  is 
fior  HMMre.  e^rt^ium  to  prodnee  ioruitt  than  those  below  it.  Or 
if  the  ycwazLg  <J^m<es  aire  bent  (eitther  by  art  or  by  their  own 
we%hn,  as  we  see  them  in  their  wild  state)  so  as  to  check 
the  low  of  sapv  and  place  the  fatty  developed  buds  in  a 
l%hcr  position  than  those  at  the  end,  then  they  wiffl  push 
out  and  prw^iiww  bearing  canes.  Therefore  the  rinc  is  said 
tDDearits&iQmt  afi  tftxe  topv  as  a  rule,  but  it  does  not  siorkdy 
refer  to  the  ugmcniofit  buds.  4th.  The  fhnt  is  produced 
•upom  the  young  gioming  carocs>  and  opnoatje  to  the  first 
few  leaves  nhafi  ame  Snooted  ;  lasaaiy  the  first  to  third  leave* 
fined  will  have  a  bunch  of  fruit  opposite;  sometimes  they 

When  the  shoot  has 


ite  fifth  leaf  without  avowing  aagns  of  fimt,  then  none  need 

be  esxpeeted,  Ibr  it  is  venr  seldom  that  fimit  is  produced 


PETTXIXG   AKD  TKAIXIXG. 

beyond  that  point.  And  as  this  rale  is  applicable  to  afl  the 
varieties  and  species  in  cultivation,  it  renders  it  an  easy 
matter  to  regulate  the  quantity  of  fruit  upon  the  vine  at 
the  annual  pruning,  by  simply  leaving  a  certain  number  of 
well-developed  buds,  estimating  each  one  at  so  many 
bunches  of  fruit.  Xot  only  is  the  fruit  produced  near  the 
base  of  the  young  canes,  but  the  best  buds  for  producing 
fruiting  canes  are  found  there  also ;  for  as  these  lower  bods 
are  formed  early  in  the  season,  they  become  more  fully  de- 
veloped than  those  formed  later.  Hence  the  necessity  for 
cutting  off  the  upper  portions  of  every  cane  in  pruning, 
instead  of  leaving  a  part  of  them  at  fufl  length,  and  catting 
others  entirely  away. 

The  foregoing  are  the  main  principles  to  be  observed  in 
pruning  and  training ;  but  there  are  minor  points  also  to 
be  considered,  because  they  are  not  only  important,  but 
are  facts  that  have  been  proven  to  be  well  founded  by  long 
and  careful  experiments.  These  points  win  be  noticed 
when  I  reach  that  part  of  the  subject  where  they  are  par- 
ticularly applicable. 

The  following  system  of  pruning  and  training  I  believe 
to  be  one  that  may  be  applied  to  all  the  different  varieties 
in  cultivation  with  the  best  results.  It  harmonizes  with 
the  general  development  of  the  vine,  and  does  not  unneces- 
sarily dwarf  it,  but  keeps  it  perfectly  under  the  control  of 
the  vineyardist,  so  that  he  can  develop  the  fruit-bearing 
powers,  and  check  the  excess  in  the  growth  of  wood,  and 
so  distribute  the  fruit  that  no  one  part  of  the  vine  pro- 
duces more  than  another.  It  is  not  a  new  system,  but  its 
main  features,  which  are  the  horizontal  arms,  and  pruning 
the  young  wood  to  short  spurs,  have  been  in  uninterrupted 
practice  for  more  than  a  hundred  years. 

The  following  method  of  low  training  is  especially  rec- 
ommended for  vineyards,  particularly  where  strong  winds 
prevail  and  render  it  difficult  to  grow  vines  on  high  trel- 
lises. Plant  the  vines  in  rows,  six  feet  apart,  and  the  vines 

6* 


130 


THE    GRAPE    CULTUKIST. 


eight  feet  apart  in  the  row,  and  let  but  one  cane  grow 
the  first  season ;  keep  it  tied  to  the  stake,  and  pinch  back 
the  laterals  to  concentrate  the 
growth  into  the  one  cane.  The 
rows  may  run  east  and  west  or 
north  and  south;  perhaps  east 
and  west  would  be  preferable  in 
more  northern  localities,  but  the 
difference  in  this  latitude  is 
scarcely  perceptible.  If  the  rows 
run  east  and  west,  the  leaves  will 
be  mostly  on  the  southern  side ; 
but  when  north  and  south,  they 
are  about  equally  disposed  on 
both  sides  of  the  trellis.  Fig.  40 
shows  the  vine  as  it  should  appear 
at  mid-summer ;  A  is  a  lateral  that 
has  been  stopped  three  times ;  B 
has  been  stopped  twice ;  c,  but 
once.  This  cane  is  to  be  cut  back 
tbe  next  season  to  within  twelve 
to  fifteen  inches  of  the  ground, 
and  only  the  upper  two  buds  are 
allowed  to  grow,  all  others  being 
rubbed  off.  From  these  upper 
two  buds  two  canes  are  produced, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  41,  each  one  of 
which  should  have  the  same  treat- 
ment as  did  the  single  one  of  the 
previous  season.  The  second 
season  the  vine  will  usually  pro- 
duce three  bunches  of  fruit  on 
each  cane ;  and  if  it  is  strong  and 
vigorous,  these  may  be  ah1  owed  to 
mature ;  but  if  the  vine  is  not 
strong,  they  should  be  removed 

Fig.  40. 


PBUNINO    AND   TRAINING. 


131 


on  their  first  appearance.     The  canes  at  this  age  should 
be  from  eight  to  twelve  feet  long,  and  at  least  half  an  inch 
in    diameter.      If  much   smaller  than  this, 
one  of  them  should  be   cut  away,  and  the 
other  cut  back  to  two  buds,  and  two  canes 
should  be  grown,  as  in  the  previous  season. 

When  strong  vines  are  planted,  and  good 
culture  is  given  them,  they  will  be  ready  for 
training  at  the  end  of  the  second  season. 

The  trellis  should  now  be  built,  if  it  has 
not  been  made  before.  (For  description  of 
trellis,  and  how  it  is  built,  see  Chapter  XIV.) 
The  two  canes  of  the  vines  are  now  short- 
ened to  four  feet,  bent  down  in  opposite 
directions,  and  laid  against  the  lower  bar  of 
the  trellis  to  form  arms.  Select  five  or  six 
of  the  buds  on  the  upper  side  of  the  arms 
thus  laid  down,  to  be  grown  into  upright 
canes,  making  a  mark  on  the  trellis  bar  oppo- 
site to  each.  If  the  vines  have  grown 
strong,  the  buds  will  be  from  four  to  six 
inches  apart,  in  which  case  every  bud  on  the 
upper  side  may  be  allowed  to  remain.  From 
the  marks  opposite  the  buds  stretch  No.  16 
galvanized  wire  to  the  bar  above,  fastening 
each  end  securely  by  winding  about  the  bar  ^  & 
or  otherwise.  Instead  of  now  fastening  the 
vine  to  the  trellis,  it  is  better,  but  not  abso- 
lutely necessary,  to  bring  the  ends  down 
near  the  ground,  and  fasten  them  there  with 
hooked  pegs,  as  seen  in  Fig.  42.  If  the  ends 
are  fastened  to  the  lower  bar  in  a  horizontal 
position  at  once,  the  buds  nearest  to  the  base 
will  usually  push  first,  because  the  short 
bend  in  the  cane  at  that  point  checks  the 
flow  of  sap  and  forces  it  into  the  buds  near 


132  THE    GKAPE    CULTTJEIST. 

by,  while  the  sap  that  flows  past  these  buds  goes  rapidly 
to  the  extreme  end  of  the  arm,  and  forces  the  buds  at  that 
point  into  growth.  In  such  cases  the  buds  between  those 


Fig.  42. 

at  the  base  and  the  extreme  end  will  sometimes  fail  to  pro- 
duce canes.  To  avoid  this  we  bend  the  canes  as  repre- 
sented ;  this  graduates  the  check  which  is  necessarily  given 
to  the  flow  of  sap,  and  each  bud  stands  more  nearly  the 
same  chance  to  get  its  proportion.  When  the  buds  have 
all  started,  and  made  a  growth  of 
two  or  three  inches,  then  the  arms 
should  be  brought  up  level  and 
fastened  to  the  side  of  the  lower 
bar.  All  buds  and  shoots  not 
wanted  for  upright  canes  should  be 
broken  off,  and  so  soon  as  those  re- 
maining are  long  enough  to  tie  to 
the  upright  wires,  it  should  be 
done.  They  should  not  be  tied 
too  close,  as  room  enough  should 
be  left  for  them  to  grow. 

It  will  sometimes  happen,  when 
the  arms  are  laid  down,  that  in  se- 
lecting buds  for  the  upright  canes, 
the  spaces  be- 
tween    would 
be  made  more 
nearly  equal  if 
an     occasional 
bud  on  the  un- 

der    side    was 


PRUNING    AND    TRAINING.  133 

used  for  the  purpose ;  if  so,  it  may  be  done,  and  it  will  do 
equally  well,  only  it  will  not  appear  quite  so  systematical. 
Fig.  43  shows  a  spur  produced  upon  a  shoot  grown  from 
an  under-side  bud. 

Each  one  of  these  upright  canes  will,  if  permitted,  usually 
produce  three  or  four  bunches  of  fruit,  and  if  the  vine  is 
very  strong  and  vigorous,  it  will  not  injure  it  to  do  so. 
But  unless  it  is  very  strong,  it  is  better  to  cut  off  a  portion 
and  leave  only  one  or  two  bunches  to  each  cane.  It  is 
better  not  to  overload  the  vine  while  young,  as  it  will  often 
seriously  injure  its  future  growth. 

When  the  upright  canes  have  grown  to  about  two  feet 
they  should  be  stopped  by  pinching  off  their  ends.  I  usu- 
ally pinch  off  the  end  of  the  shoot  so  soon  as  it  has  made 
two  leaves  beyond  the  last  bunch  of  fruit,  which  will  be 
when  the  cane  has  from  five  to  eight  leaves  upon  it.  But 
we  can  not  expect  to  be  exact,  especially  when  there  is  a 
large  number  of  vines  to  go  over.  Besides,  one  cane  may 
grow  more  rapidly  than  another,  and  will  need  pinching 
sooner.  Pinching  will  cause  the  remaining  leaves  to  ex- 
pand and  become  large,  thick,  and  firm,  and  much  better 
fitted  to  withstand  the  atmospheric  changes  than  they 
would  otherwise  be.  The  shoots,  after  being  stopped,  will 
soon  start,  and  after  growing  a  few  inches  they  should  be 
checked  again,  as  we  wish  to  keep  them  within  the  limits 
of  the  trellis,  and  not  allow  them  to  grow  much,  if  any, 
above  it.  All  the  laterals  on  the  canes  should  be  stopped 
as  though  they  were  on  young  vines.  Fig.  44  represents  a 
vine  at  the  end  of  the  first  season  after  the  arms  are  formed. 
The  first  upright  cane  at  the  left  hand  of  the  center  shows 
the  position  of  the  three  bunches  of  fruit.  Upon  this  vine 
there  are  twelve  upright  canes,  six  upon  each  side,  which 
are  distributed  on  two  arms  of  about  four  feet  each  ;  it  is 
not  expected  that  the  arms  will  be  of  an  exact  length,  but 
they  need  not  usually  vary  more  than  three  or  four  inches. 
Nor  do  we  expect  to  have  the  upright  canes  exactly  the 


134 


THE   GEAPE   CULTUEIST. 


same  distance  apart,  but  if  care  is  taken  in  the  beginning 
in  selecting  the  buds  there  will  be  no  material  difference. 
No  more  fruiting  canes  should  be  allowed  to  grow  on  one 


< 

s 

c 

, 

/ 

! 

^ 

,: 

>    j 

t 

^  ^ 

1 

"V             ^ 

i 

i 

^ 

{ 

\^      | 

< 

^ 

•A     f> 

1          , 

'    . 

i  ^ 

J 

'         \ 

>           s 
v           ^ 

;   ! 

\ 

WJ^ 

P    ' 

;    \ 

' 

^  j 

'  /-* 

;  ) 

Fig.  44. 

arm  than  upon  the  other,  nor  should  any  number  of  the 
canes  be  allowed  to  grow  higher  than  the  others,  and  thereby 
appropriate  more  than  their  due  share  of  nutriment.  Keep 
the  vine  equally  balanced  in  fruit,  foliage,  and  wood.  The 
vine  referred  to  above  has  six  upright  canes,  which,  if 
evenly  distributed,  would  give  eight  inches  space  between 
each,  which  is  abundant  for  those  varieties  that  have  leaves 
of  moderate  size.  But  with  those  that  have  very  coarse 
wood  and  large  leaves,  the  distance  betwe.cn  the  upright 
canes  should  be  ten  or  twelve  inches. 

The  upright  canes  are  pruned  back  the  first  year  to  two 
buds  ;  the  small  cross  lines  near  the  base  of  the  canes,  Fig. 
44,  show  where  they  should  be  cut.  The  next  year  a  cane 
will  proceed  from  each  of  these  buds,  and  all  other  shoots 
which  may  start  from  the  small  buds  near  the  arm  should 
be  rubbed  off.  Or,  if  the  buds  should  produce  two  shoots 
each,  as  they  will  sometimes  do,  only  the  strongest  one 
should  be  allowed  to  grow. 

The  second  year  the  two  canes  will  each  produce  three 
or  four  bunches  of  fruit,  and  instead  of  twelve  upright  canes 


PRUNING    AND   TRAINING. 


135 


136 


THE   GKAPE   CULTURIST. 


we  now  have  twenty-four,  and  allowing  three  bunches  of 
fruit  to  each,  it  gives  seventy-two  bunches  to  each  vine,  and 
this  is  not  an  over-estimate  for  the  product 
of  a  vine  the  fourth  year  after  planting. 

The  canes  are  to  be  treated  the  same, 
as  regards  stopping,  pinching,  laterals, 
etc.,  during  each  year  of  their  growth. 

Fig.  45  shows  a  vine  at  the  end  of  the 
fourth  year,  but  with  only  five  spurs  with 
two  canes  on  each,  making  ten  bearing 
canes  on  each  arm.  The  first  two  canes 
at  the  right  hand  of  the  center  are  repre- 
sented with  the  three  bunches  of  fruit 
f!  upon  each.  The  cross  lines  near  the  base 
of  the  shoots  show  where  the  vine  is  to 
be  pruned  at  the  end  of  the  fourth  year. 
The  uppermost  of  the  two  canes  is  cut 
£  entirely  away,  and  the  other  is  cut  back 
to  two  buds. 

Fig.  46  shows  this  same  vine  as  it  ap- 
pears after  being  pruned.  The  vine  in  sub- 
sequent years  is  to  be  pruned  in  the  same 
manner.  Fig.  47  shows  a  portion  of  the  arm 
with  the  base  of  the  upright  shoot  or  spur, 
as  it  is  called.  The  cross  line  shows  where 
the  upper  cane  is  to  be  cut  away.  Each 
year  the  pruning  should  be  reversed  if  the 
position  of  the  lower  bud  will  admit  of  it. 
That  is,  if  we  cut  away  the  left-hand  cane 
this  season,  as  shown  in  the  last  figure, 
then  we  should  cut  away  the  right-hand 
cane  the  next ;  in  this  way  the  spur  will 
remain  nearly  upright.  But  sometimes 
the  lower  bud  will  be  on  the  outside  of 
the  shoot  which  we  wish  to  keep  for  the 
fruit  spur.  Fig.  48  shows  a  spur  with  the 

Fig.  46. 


PRUNING  AND   TRAINING. 


137 


buds  in  that  position  ;  but  we  must  prune  the  spur  just 
the  same  as  though  it  were  on  the  opposite  side,  and  prob- 
ably the  next  season  the  buds  on  the  young  shoot  will  be 


Fig.  47. 


Fig.  48. 


reversed,  and  we  shall  be  able  to  bring  our  fruit  spur  again 
into  a  perpendicular  position.  The  lower  bud  will  seldom 
be  produced  two  years  in  succession  on  the  outside,  as 
shown  in  the  above  figure. 

It  is  desirable  that  the  shoot  from  the  lower  bud  on  the 
fruit  spur  should  grow  strong,  as  it  is  from  this  that  we 
take  the  two  buds  for  the  next  season's  fruit  spur.  As  this 
first  or  lower  bud  is  seldom  more  than  one  inch  from  the 
base  of  the  shoot,  and  in  many  of  our  best  short-jointed 
varieties  not  more  than  a  half-inch,  it  is  obvious  that  we 
lengthen  the  spur  each  year  only  the  distance  from  the  base 
of  the  shoot  to  the  first  bud  on  it,  be  it  more  or  less.  The 
annual  increase  in  diameter  of  the  arm,  as  well  as  that  of 
the  spur,  also  lessens  somewhat  its  projection  above  the 
arm.  Taking  the  average  of  some  twenty  varieties  that  I 
have  trained  on  this  plan,  I  find  the  spurs  do  not  increase 
in  length  more  than  three  fourths  of  an  inch  each  year. 
At  the  end  of  the  fourth  year  the  vine  is  considered  as 
established,  and  as  another  vine  is  at  the  same  distance 
from  it  with  arms  extending  each  way,  of  course  the  space 
is  all  occupied,  and  the  vines  are  to  be  confined  within  the 
limits  of  eight  feet  each.  The  rows  being  six  feet  apart, 


138  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

we  have  nine  hundred  and  five  vines  on  an  acre ;  now 
seventy-two  bunches  to  the  vine  (which  every  vine  will 
bear  if  it  is  a  productive  variet}T,  and  if  it  is  not  it  had 
better  be  discarded  at  once,  unless  it  possesses  some  extra- 
ordinary quality  which  makes  up  for  loss  in  quantity)  will 
give  us  65,160  bunches  to  the  acre;  the  weight  of  course 
will  vary  according  to  the  size  of  the  bunch.  Thirty 
pounds  to  the  vine  the  fourth  year  is  not  an  unusual  crop  for 
such  varieties  as  the  Concord,  Hartford  Prolific,  Catawba, 
Isabella,  etc.  But  it  is  not  best  to  let  the  vines  bear  too 
much  while  young,  as  the  quality  of  the  fruit  will  not  be 
as  good  as  though  a  less  quantity  were  taken  ;  besides,  it 
is  very  likely  to  severely  check  the  growth  of  the  vine. 

Varieties  that  are  not  as  strong  and  rapid  growers  as 
those  named,  may  be  planted  nearer  together,  say  six  feet 
apart  in  the  row,  and  the  rows  only  five  feet  apart,  and  it 
is  not  necessary  that  the  trellis  should  be  so  high  by  half  a 
foot,  at  least ;  two  feet  and  a  half  between  the  bars  will  be 
sufficient  for  many  of  the  shorter  jointed  varieties.  Some- 
times the  vines  are  planted  more  than  eight  feet  apart,  and 
only  a  part  of  the  arm  is  formed  the  first  year,  and  the  up- 
right cane  nearest  the  end  is  laid  down  the  second  year, 
and  the  arm  thus  lengthened  in  this  way  until  the  required 
length  is  obtained.  But  having  tried  both,  I  much  prefer 
planting  the  vines  so  near  together  that  arms  can  be  formed 
to  fill  up  the  space  at  once. 

Four  feet  is  about  as  long  as  it  is  safe  to  lay  down  a 
cane  at  one  time  and  have  all  the  buds  start  evenly. 

When  the  vine  becomes  old  and  very  strong,  the  amount 
of  fruit  may  be  increased  by  pruning,  so  as  to  leave  three 
buds  upon  the  spurs,  as  is  shown  in  Fig.  49  ;  this  will  in- 
crease the  crop  one  third.  But  there  is  danger  of  losing 
the  lower  bud  if  we  increase  the  number  beyond  this,  as 
we  find  that  the  tendency  of  the  sap  is  continually  to  the 
upper  bud ;  and  when  there  are  several  left  on  the  spur, 
the  lower  one  is  apt  to  be  robbed  by  those  above  it,  and 


PKUNING  AND   TRAINING. 


139 


more  likely  to  remain  dormant  than  when  we  prune  back 
to  two  or  three. 

If  the  lower  bud  fails  to  grow,  then  we  have  to  depend 


Fig.  49. 

upon  the  first  growing  one  above  it  for  the  fruiting  cane 
for  next  year  ;  this  will  add  very  materially  to  the  length 
of  the  main  spur,  besides  injuring  the  general  appearance 
of  the  vine.  In  the  above  figure  the  dotted  lines  .(b)  show 
the  position  of  the  young  cane  that  should  grow  from  the 
lower  bud,  and  a  similar  cane  will  be  produced  from  each 
of  the  other  buds. 

The  cross  line  at  a  shows  where  the  old  spur,  with  the 
two  upper  shoots,  which  are  now  only  buds  in  the  engrav- 
ing, will  be  cut  away  at  the  next  year's  pruning,  and  the 


140  THE   GEAPE   CTJLTURIST. 

three  buds  now  on  the  cane,  5,  will  be  left.  Too  much 
care  can  not  be  given  to  the  preservation  of  these  spurs  on 
the  arms,  for  if  one  is  broken  off  or  destroyed  by  injudi- 
cious pruning,  there  is  no  certainty  of  replacing  it,  although 
buds  will  sometimes  start  from  the  arm  near  its  base,  and 
from  this  a  new  spur  may  be  formed ;  but  it  is  better  to 
preserve  the  original  spurs  than  to  endeavor  to  replace  them 
with  new  ones. 

Should  the  spurs  ever  become  so  long  as  to  be  unsightly 
or  inconvenient,  new  arms  may  be  readily  formed  by  allow- 
ing the  two  center  spurs  to  produce  but  one  cane  each,  and 
these  may  grow  four  or  five  feet  long ;  at  the  next  pruning 
cut  away  the  old  arms  and  bend  down  these  two  canes  to 
form  new  ones.  But  if  the  plan  which  I  have  given  is 
strictly  followed,  the  arms  need  not  be  renewed  oftener 
than  once  in  fifteen  or  twenty  years. 

There  are  several  reasons  why  I  believe  the  foregoing 
method  is  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  best  system  for  general 
vineyard  culture.  1st.  The  horizontal  is  the  best  position 
that  can  be  given  to  the  vine  to  develop  its  fruiting  powers, 
— the  main  object  in  all  the  various  methods  of  pruning 
and  training.  2d.  The  upright  bearing  canes  being  equally 
distributed  on  the  arms,  no  one  portion  of  the  vine  has  any 
advantage  given  it  over  another,  the  flow  of  sap  being 
equal  to  all  parts.  3d.  The  equal  distribution  of  the  fruit- 
ing canes  not  only  allows  a  free  circulation  of  air  among 
the  leaves,  but  insures  an  equal  distribution  of  fruit.  4th. 
While  the  vine  is  restricted  within  certain  limits  it  is  not 
dwarfed,  as  some  might  suppose,  for  a  vine  with  two 
arms,  four  feet  long,  with  ten  upright  canes  on  each,  mak- 
ing twenty  canes  three  feet  long,  has  sixty  feet  of  wood  to 
be  grown  and  pruned  off  each  season.  This  quantity  is 
certainly  abundant  to  give  the  most  vigorous  growers  suf- 
ficient expansion  to  insure  a  healthy  action  of  root.  Some 
cultivators  suppose  that  because  a  vine  will  grow  large  and 
occupy  considerable  space,  if  allowed  sufficient  time  and 


PRUNING   AND   TRAINING.  141 

furnished  with  plenty  of  nutriment,  that  it  can  not  remain 
healthy  if  it  be  restrained  within  moderate  limits.  But 
this  is  a  great  mistake,  and  the  sooner  such  ideas  are 
abandoned,  the  better  it  will  be  for  the  cause.  5th.  The 
vines  being  trained  low,  the  fruit  receives  a  greater  amount 
of  heat  than  if  more  elevated,  because  it  gets  not  only 
the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  but  also  the  heat  reflected  from 
the  earth.  This  last  is  quite  important  in  a  northern 
climate,  where  there  is  little  danger  of  getting  too  much 
heat.  6th.  The  mode  is  so  simple  that  the  most  inexperi- 
enced may  understand  it ;  and  when  the  vines  are  once  put 
into  shape,  the  pruning  ever  after  is  so  nearly  the  same, 
there  is  scarcely  any  danger  of  going  wrong. 

Fig.  50  represents  a  two-tier  system  of  training  upon  the 
same  principle.  It  is  equally  as  good  as  the  single  tier  of 
arms,  but  it  usually  requires  one  year  more  to  perfect  it, 
and  the  trellis  must  be  made  considerably  stronger,  as  its 
height  offers  more  resistance  to  the  wind  than  in  the  former 
mode  of  low  training. 

It  has  one  advantage  over  the  other  mode,  as  a  larger 
number  of  vines  are  planted  to  the  acre,  producing  conse- 
quently an  increase  in  amount  of  fruit.  It  is  particularly 
valuable  where  land  is  very  expensive,  and  the  greatest 
amount  is  desired  from  a  given  space.  The  vines  are 
planted  four  feet  apart  in  the  row,  and  the  rows  eight  feet 
apart,  which  gives  1,361  per  acre. 

When  the  vines  are  pruned  for  forming  the  arms,  every 
alternate  vine  is  cut  back  to  within  one  foot  of  the  ground, 
and  the  others  at  the  height  of  four  feet ;  the  upper  two 
buds  on  each  one  are  allowed  to  grow,  and  from  these  the 
arms  are  made.  Those  that  start  at  one  foot  from  the 
ground  are  bent  down  for  arms  on  the  lower  bar,  and  those 
at  four  feet  are  taken  for  arms  on  the  middle  or  second  bar ; 
both  sets  are  treated  as  directed  for  training  a  single  vine. 
Sometimes  those  vines  that  are  left  four  feet  long  will  not 
produce  canes  sufficiently  strong  the  first  season  to  make 


142 


THE    GKAPE    CULTURIST. 


PKUNING   AND    TRAINING.  143 

the  arms ;  if  they  do  not,  then  they  must  be  cut  back  a 
second  time,  or  until  canes  are  produced  that  are  strong 
enough  for  arms. 

The  engraving  shows  the  vine  and  trellis  complete,  ex- 
cept that  only  one  arm  is  shown  on  the  vines  on  the  upper 
tier.  The  posts  are  eight  feet  apart,  and  they  may  be  set 
opposite  to  every  alternate  vine,  as  shown,  or  mid-way  be- 
tween every  other  vine  ;  it  is  better  to  set  them  between 
the  vines,  if  the  trellis  is  not  built  until  after  they  are  ready 
to  train,  because  at  that  time  it  will  be  difficult  to  set  the 
posts  near  the  vines  without  disturbing  the  roots. 

Each  vine  has  but  two  arms,  and  the  number  of  upright 
fruiting  canes  should  be  the  same  on  each  arm,  the  vines 
being  treated  in  every  respect  as  described  for  the  single 
tiers. 

The  vine  at  each  end  of  the  trellis  will  have  but  one  arm, 
whether  it  happen  to  be  on  the  upper  or  lower  tier. 

The  trellis  is  represented  as  being  seven  feet  high,  the 
lower  bar  being  one  foot  from  the  ground,  and  the  other  two 
three  feet  apart ;  this  allows  of  three  feet  growth  to  the 
upright  canes,  which  is  sufficient  for  the  strongest  growers ; 
but  there  are  many  varieties  that  are  short  jointed,  for 
which  two  feet  will  do.  And  in  locations  that  are  low  or 
very  level,  it  is  better  to  place  the  lower  bar  eighteen 
inches  or  two  feet  from  the  ground,  so  as  to  insure  a  better 
circulation  of  air  among  the  lower  leaves ;  besides,  in  some 
very  fine  soils,  the  fruit  on  the  lower  tier  will  get  spattered 
during  heavy  rains  unless  the  ground  is  mulched.  But 
there  is  no  need  of  ever  making  the  trellis  higher  than 
seven  feet  in  a  vineyard,  and  there  is  much  inconvenience 
attending  the  tying  of  the  vine  on  a  trellis  the  top  of  which 
can  not  be  reached  while  standing  on  the  ground. 

When  it  is  desirable  to  have  the  lower  arms  more  than 
one  foot  from  the  ground,  and  still  reserve  three  feet  space 
for  the  upright  canes,  it  may  be  done  in  this  wise :  place 
the  lower  bar  two  feet  from  the  ground,  the  next  three 


144  THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

feet  above  it — we  now  have  two  feet  remaining  between 
the  middle  and  upper  bar. 

The  upright  canes  from  the  upper  arms  may  be  allowed 
to  grow  one  foot  or  more  above  the  trellis  without  support, 
and  they  will  receive  no  harm  therefrom.  Where  it  is  de- 
sirable to  economize  in  every  way  possible,  the  trellis  may 
be  made  only  six  feet  high  (provided  the  lower  bar  is 
placed  at  one  foot  from  the  ground),  and  the  bars  arranged 
so  that  the  shoots  from  the  upper  tier  may  be  allowed  to 
grow  above  it. 

Whenever  any  of  the  upright  canes  show  a  weakness, 
the  pinching  may  be  deferred  until  they  gain  the  required 
strength.  If  the  ends  have  already  been  pinched  off,  then 
leave  two  or  three  of  the  upper  laterals  to  grow  out  for  a 
foot  or  more,  and  this  will  cause  an  extra  flow  of  sap  into 
such  canes,  and  thus  we  may  check  one  cane  and  encour- 
age another.  In  this  manner  we  can  readily  control  the 
forces  of  the  vine,  directing  them  to  whichever  part  best 
suits  our  purpose. 

In  checking  the  growth  of  vigorous  vines,  especially 
when  young,  we  will  sometimes  cause  the  main  buds  on  the 
young  canes  to  throw  out  fruit  branches  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  season,  and  on  these  will  appear  a  second  crop  of 
fruit.  This  of  course  is  of  no  value,  because  there  is  not 
sufficient  time  for  it  to  ripen,  even  if  the  strength  of  the 
vine  would  admit  of  its  doing  so.  I  mention  the  fact  only 
because  some  inexperienced  persons  may  be  alarmed  by 
seeing  a  second  crop  appearing  upon  the  vine  in  autumn. 
This  second  crop  is  certainly  produced  from  buds  that 
would,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  remain  dormant  un- 
til another  year,  but  checking  the  growth  has  forced  them 
out  before  the  proper  time.  If  every  main  bud  on  the 
young  canes  is  forced  into  growth,  except  the  two  or  three 
lower  ones,  no  harm  is  done,  for  these  last  are  all  that  are 
needed ;  the  others  we  prune  off  at  the  end  of  the  season. 
There  is  little  danger  of  the  lower  buds  starting,  particu- 


PRUNING    AND    TRAINING.  145 

larly  on  fruiting  canes.  I  have  often  severely  checked 
fruiting  vines,  sometimes  stopping  the  young  cnnes  at  the 
fourth  bud,  but  even  this  did  not  cause  the  lower  two  buds 
to  start.  And  when  the  canes  are  not  pinched  until  they 
have  produced  their  fifth  to  eighth  leaf,  as  I  have  recom- 
mended as  the  general  rule,  then  there  is  not  the  least 
danger  of  any  of  the  lower  buds  pushing  prematurely  into 
growth. 

If  the  young  canes  are  allowed  to  grow  unchecked,  the 
lower  bud  upon  them  will  seldom  become  sufficiently  de- 
veloped to  produce  a  vigorous  fruiting  cane  the  succeeding 
year.  That  it  should  be  so  developed  is  all  important  when 
vines  are  trained  with  horizontal  arms  and  spur  pruned, 
and  in  no  way  can  this  be  accomplished  except  by  check- 
ing the  cane  while  growing. 

To  the  novice  this  stopping  of  the  young  canes,  tying, 
pinching  laterals,  removing  tendrils,  etc.,  may  appear  to  be 
a  tedious  and  expensive  operation,  and  sometimes,  when 
vigorous  growing  varieties  are  planted  in  very  rich  soils,  it 
is  so ;  but  under  ordinary  circumstances,  when  the  vines 
become  fully  established,  very  little  trouble  will  be  experi- 
enced upon  this  point. 

The  young  canes  will  have  to  be  stopped  about  three 
times  during  the  summer,  and  at  the  time  of  doing  this  the 
laterals,  if  need  be,  should  be  pinched  and  tendrils  removed. 
On  old  vines  the  laterals  will  seldom  need  stopping  more 
than  once,  unless  they  are  overdosed  with  manure. 

OPPOSITE   ARMS. 

In  cutting  back  the  young  vines  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
ducing two  shoots  for  arms,  it  is  apparent  that  the  upper 
two  buds  will  not  be  exactly  opposite,  and  that  one  of  the 
arms  will  be  higher  than  the  other.  This  may  be  remedied 
somewhat  by  bending  the  short  piece  of  two-year-old  wood 
at  the  base  of  the  uDDer  bud ;  but  this  can  not  always  be 

7 


146 


THE    GRAPE    CULTUKIST. 


turned  at  an  angle  so  short  that  one  of  the  arms  will  not 
be  a  little  higher  than  the  other.  It  is  no  great  matter  if 
it  is,  but  when  it  is  desirable  to  have  the  arms  appear  to 


start  from  the  same  point,  the  vine  may  be  treated  in  the 
following  manner. 

When  the  vine  is  strong  enough  to  make  arms,  it  should 
be  bent  down  into  a  horizontal  position  and  tied  to  the  bar 


PRUNING   AND   TRAINING.  147 

of  the  trellis,  all  the  laterals  being  stopped  except  the  one 
at  the  angle  near  the  bar. 

Fig.  51  shows  two  vines  upon  a  two-tier  trellis;  A,  A, 
are  the  two  laterals  that  have  been  allowed  to  grow  un- 
checked. The  bending  of  the  growing  canes  will  check 
the  flow  of  sap  in  them,  while  the  laterals,  A,  A,  will  grow 
very  rapidly. 

If  the  vines  are  vigorous  and  the  canes  are  bent  down  in 
midsummer,  the  laterals  will  often  grow  sufficiently  strong 
by  fall  to  make  the  arms.  If  they  do  so,  cut  them  off  at 
four  feet  and  tie  them  to  the  bars,  the  same  as  the  main 
canes.  The  two  arms  will  then  appear  to  have  started  from 
the  same  bud.  But  if  the  lateral  does  not  grow  sufficiently 
strong  to  be  used  for  an  arm,  it  should  be  cut  entirely  away 
at  the  time  of  the  annual  pruning. 

The  main  cane  on  the  lower  bar  should  be  cut  off  where 
it  crosses  the  vine  next  to  it,  and  the  cane  on  the  upper 
bar  at  a  point  directly  above  the  main  trunk  of  the  lower 
vine.  Fig.  52  shows  the  vine  on  the  upper  bar  when 
pruned,  in  case  the  lateral  failed  to  make  an  arm,  except- 
ing that  when  it  is  done  it  is  devoid  of  leaves.  If  we 
fail  to  get  an  arm  from  the  lateral  the  first  season,  we 
may  allow  the  main  cane  to  remain  in  its  position,  and  per- 
mit 'so  many  buds  to  grow  from  it  as  we  desire  for  the  up- 
right fruiting  canes  ;  but  the  bud  which  is  at  the  base  of 
the  lateral,  A,  we  will  allow  to  grow  up  until  long  enough 
to  make  the  arm  in  place  of  that  which  we  failed  to  get 
from  the  lateral.  At  the  end  of  the  second  season  we  bend 
this  down  and  form  an  arm  precisely  as  would  have  been 
done  with  the  lateral ;  and  the  vine  will  appear  the  same, 
except  that  one  of  the  arms  is  one  year  older  than  the 
other,  and  of  course  it  is  considerably  larger.  To  remedy 
this  difference  in  appearance,  the  upright  canes  on  the  two- 
year-old  arm  should  be  cut  back  to  one  bud  instead  of  two, 
as  would  have  been  done  if  both  arms  had  been  perfected 
tne  first  year,  allowing  only  single  upright  canes  on  both 


14:8 


THE   GRAPE   CDLTTJEIST. 


arms  this  season.  The  cane  that  is  bent  down  the  first 
season  will  usually  produce  fruit  the  second  ;  but  it  is  best 
not  to  let  it  produce  more  than  one  bunch  upon  each  up- 
right cane,  unless  it  is  very  strong.  The  object  should 


always  be  to  subdue  the  vine  but  not  to  weaken  it,  and  if 
it  is  necessary  to  commence  training  it  the  first  season 
after  planting,  it  should  be  done  ;  and  it  is  far  less  trouble 
to  get  control  of  the  vine  while  young,  and  there  i»  less 


PRUNING    AND   TRAINING.  140 

danger  of  injuring  it  than  if  we  wait  until  it  has  spread  its 
roots  and  branches  far  and  wide  before  we  undertake  to 
confine  it  within  certain  contracted  limits. 

This  fact  should  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the  expansion 
and  multiplication  of  roots  depend  as  much  upon  the  ex- 
tent and  number  of  branches  that  are  allowed  to  grow,  as 
the  growth  of  the  branches  does  upon  that  of  the  roots. 

Therefore  to  control  the  whole  plant  we  have  only  to 
control  the  top,  and  this  is  done  chiefly  by  checking  the 
branches  while  growing,  for  if  the  vine  is  allowed  to  per- 
fect its  canes,  it  wiU  certainly  perfect  a  corresponding  num- 
ber of  roots,  each  of  which  is  capable  of  absorbing  a  cer- 
tain quantity  of  nutriment,  and  sending  it  upward  into  the 
branches  ;  and  every  year  that  the  vine  is  allowed  to  grow 
unchecked,  so  much  more  does  it  increase  the  difficulty  of 
bringing  it  under  control. 

OBLIQUE  ARMS. 

In  many  parts  of  the  country  the  grape  vine  is  not  suffi- 
ciently hardy  to  withstand  the  cold  of  winter  without  pro- 
tection, and  there  are  very  few  locations  in  the  Northern 
States  where  this  would  not  be  beneficial  to  many  of  the 
varieties  now  in  cultivation.  Even  if  the  vine  itself  is  not 
materially  injured,  the  fruit  buds  are  often  so  weakened 
by  cold  that  they  fail  to  produce  as  much  or  as  good  fruit 
as  they  otherwise  would.  With  the  systems  of  training 
that  I  have  given  and  others  frequently  adopted,  it  is  not 
only  inconvenient  to  protect  the  vines,  but  it  would  also  be 
very  expensive.  There  is  no  method  of  protection  that  is 
so  cheap  or  practical  as  that  of  laying  down  the  vines  and 
covering  them  with  earth ;  but  to  do  this  they  must  be 
trained  in  such  a  manner  that  they  may  be  bent  down  with- 
out breaking  the  main  stem  or  otherwise  injuring  them. 

When  trained  with  the  two  arms,  they  can  not  be  laid 
down  without  bending  the  main  stem  over  to  one  side. 


150 


THE    GRAPE   CULTUEIST. 


which  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  do,  particu- 
larly after  the  vine 
has  become  large. 
The  vine  may  be 
trained  with  one 
arm,  and  this  could 
be  laid  down  more 
conveniently  than 
when  there  were 
two ;  but  still  it  can 
not  be  laid  flat  with- 
out bending  the  main 
stem,  or  straighten- 
ing the  angle  which 
is  formed  in  making 
the  horizontal  arm. 
To  surmount  all  the 
difficulties  met  with 
in  the  common 
modes  of  training, 
and  still  continue 
upon  the  arm  and  re- 
newal system,  I  have 
adopted  what  I  call, 
for  the  want  of  a  bet- 
ter name,  the  oblique 
system.  The  vines 
are  planted  three  feet 
apart  in  the  row,  and 
the  rows  six  feet 
apart ;  this  allows 
2,074  vines  to  the 
acre. 

The      vines      are 
planted  in  the  same 


PRUNING    AND   TRAINING.  151 

way  as  for  other  modes  of  training,  and  but  one  cane 
allowed  to  grow  the  first  year.  In  the  fall  the  vines  are 
cut  off  to  about  four  feet,  and  laid  down  and  covered  with 
earth — four  or  five  inches  deep  is  usually  sufficient.  The 
next  spring  remove  the  earth  and  straighten  up  the  vine. 
Build  the  trellis  in  the  same  manner  as  described  for  low- 
trained  vines  with  two  arms  ;  that  is,  four  feet  high  and 
three  feet  between  the  bars.  Fig.  53  shows  the  system  in 
its  progressive  stages.  The  vine  on  the  left  shows  the  one 
strong  cane  at  full  length  ;  the  next  vine  after  it  has  been 
pruned,  and  with  the  single  upright  bearing  canes  ;  the 
third  vine  as  it  appears  complete  at  the  end  of  the  third 
year ;  the  fourth  vine  (d)  shows  the  same  pruned  and  laid 
down  ready  for  covering. 

If  good  strong  vines  are  planted,  the  system  can  be 
brought  to  completion  in  the  third  season  ;  but  strong  and 
vigorous  canes  must  be  obtained  in  all  cases  before  com- 
mencing the  training.  The  vines  are  trained  at  an  angle 
of  forty-five  degrees,  and  the  bearing  canes  being  perpen- 
dicular, they  consequently  make  the  same  angle  with  the 
vine  that  the  vine  does  with  the  ground. 

This  is  the  highest  or  greatest  angle  to  which  vines  can 
be  carried  without  giving  the  upper  shoots  on  the  arms  so 
much  the  advantage  over  the  lower  ones  that  there  will  be 
no  certainty  of  the  lower  ones  pushing  into  growth  with- 
out bending  or  otherwise  distorting  the  canes. 

We  will  suppose  that  at  the  end  of  the  first  season  we 
have  a  vine  as  shown  at  the  left  of  the  engraving.  It  is  then 
laid  into  position  as  seen  ;  we  then  cut  it  off"  at  the  point 
where  it  crosses  the  perpendicular  wire,  leaving  it  an  inch 
or  two  beyond  it,  so  that  it  can  be  securely  tied.  The  cane 
when  cut  off  will  be  about  four  and  one  half  feet  long.  It 
may  now  be  laid  down  by  the  side  of  the  trellis  and  cov- 
ered with  earth.  In  the  spring  take  up  the  vine  and  tie  it 
to  the  trellis  ;  and  to  be  sure  of  getting  the  correct  angle, 
let  the  point  where  the  cane  crosses  the  lower  bar  and  the 


152  THE   GEAPE    CULTURIST. 

point  where  it  is  tied  to  the  upright  wire  be  both  equal 
distances  from  the  base  of  the  wire.  The  vine  should  be 
made  as  straight  as  possible,  so  that  the  sap  shall  not  be 
checked  in  its  flow.  If  it  is  not  disposed  to  be  straight, 
a  lath  should  be  nailed  on,  reaching  at  the  proper  angle 
from  the  lower  to  the  upper  bar,  and  the  vine  tied  to  it. 
When  the  buds  start,  select  five  or  six  for  the  upright  canes, 
the  same  as  when  the  arms  are  trained  horizontally. 

The  first  upright  may  start  a  few  inches  below  the  lower 
bar,  as  shown  in  the  engraving,  or  the  bar  may  be  placed 
at  six  inches  above  the  ground,  provided  the  soil  about  the 
base  of  the  vine  is  kept  covered  with  mulch  to  keep  the 
fruit  clean.  Each  of  the  uprights  will  produce  fruit,  but 
unless  the  vine  is  very  strong,  a  portion  of  it  should  be  re- 
moved. 

The  flow  of  sap  will  sometimes  cause  the  upper  shoots 
to  grow  a  little  faster  than  the  lower  ones  ;  if  so,  pinch  off 
the  ends  so  soon  as  the  fifth  leaf  is  formed  on  them,  and 
leave  the  lower  canes  until  they  have  eight  or  nine  leaves. 
The  growth  of  the  canes  will  usually  be  very  regular  when 
the  vines  are  laid  in  straight,  and  at  the  angle  named. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  year  the  bearing  canes  should 
be  pruned  to  two  buds ;  the  cross  lines  at  #,  Fig.  53, 
show  the  point  where  to  cut  off. 

As  the  vines  are  to  be  protected,  there  is  no  necessity  for 
leaving  an  extra  bud  to  be  cut  off  in  spring,  as  recom- 
mended for  unprotected  vines.  In  locations  where  it  is 
necessary  to  protect  vines,  the  warm  weather  usually  comes 
on  so  rapidly  after  it  commences,  that  it  would  not  do  to 
prune  the  vines  after  they  are  uncovered. 

The  next  season  two  canes  are  produced  from  the  two 
buds,  and  in  the  fall  the  cane  which  starts  from  the  upper 
bud  of  the  two  is  removed,  cutting  through  the  spur  as  pre- 
viously shown,  and  the  other  cane  cut  back  to  two  buds ; 
the  cross  line  at  c,  Fig.  53,  shows  the  point  at  which  it 
should  be  removed.  Upon  the  right  hand  of  the  figure, 


PRUNING   AND    TRAINING. 


158 


and  over  the  vine  that  is  laid  down,  the  trellis  is  shown  as 
it  appears  with  all  the  perpendicular  wires. 

The  trellis,  as  here 
shown,  is  only  two 
feet  between  the  bars 
and  its  whole  height 
only  three  feet,  the 
upright  canes  on  the 
upper  portion  of  the 
arm  being  allowed  to 
grow  above  the  up- 
per bar.  This  they 
may  be  allowed  to 
do  when  it  is  desira- 
ble to  practice  the 
strictest  economy. 

Fig.  54  shows  a 
space  of  twelve  feet 
as  occupied  with  four 
vines  trained  with 
oblique  arms ;  only 
two  posts  are  repre- 
sented, but  it  is  best 
to  place  the  posts  not 
more  than  eight  feet 
apart.  When  a  row 
of  vines  trained  on 
this  system  is  pruned 
and  laid  down,  the 
vines  will  overlap 
each  other  a  little; 
but  the  end  of  one 
may  be  laid  by  the 
side  of  the  trunk  of 
the  next,  and.  so  on 
throughout.  In  lay- 


154  THE    GRAPE   CULTUKIST. 

ing  them  down,  one  person  should  hold  down  the  vine  while 
another  covers  it,  and  as  the  vine  has  to  be  bent  only  one 
half  the  distance  that  it  would  be  trained  upright,  there  is 
no  difficulty  in  laying  it  down  quite  flat.  ~No  straw  or  any 
similar  material  should  be  used  in  covering  the  vines,  as  it 
only  furnishes  a  harbor  for  mice. 

If  the  soil  is  so  wet  and  heavy  that  there  is  danger  of 
injury  to  the  buds,  a  little  sand  should  be  put  on  next  to 
the  vine  before  the  earth  is  put  on.  The  buds  will  not  be 
injured  in  any  ordinary  dry  soil,  provided  the  vines  are  not 
covered  until  the  ground  becomes  cool,  and  are  not  allowed 
to  remain  in  the  ground  too  late  in  spring. 

A  PLAN  FOR  POOR   SOILS. 

There  are  many  light  sandy  and  gravelly  soils  wherein 
the  grape  will  not  grow  vigorously  without  the  application 
of  a  large  amount  of  fertilizing  materials,  and  it  is  often  the 
case  that  the  cost  of  such  materials  would  put  grape  cul- 
ture out  of  the  reach  of  persons  in  moderate  circumstances, 
as  well  as  make  it  an  unprofitable  investment  for  any  one 
who  should  undertake  to  grow  them  under  any  of  the  sys- 
tems in  practice  at  the  present  time.  Having  stated  on  a 
preceding  page  that  the  expansion  and  amount  of  root  may 
be  restricted  by  controlling  the  top,  it  must  be  apparent 
that  by  increasing  the  quantity  of  root  we  can  add  to  the 
growth  of  the  branches.  The  following  system  is  founded 
upon  this  well-known  principle,  and  it  is  recommended 
only  for  light,  poor  soils ;  because,  if  practiced  even  upon 
moderately  rich  soils,  an  over-luxuriance  would  almost  cer- 
tainly be  the  result.  When  this  occurs,  the  richest  and 
best  flavored  fruit  is  never  obtained.  The  plan  is  as  fol- 
lows :  plant  the  vines  four  and  one  half  feet  apart  in  the 
rows,  and  the  rows  six  feet  apart,  and  if  the  soil  is  very 
poor,  add  to  it  at  the  time  of  planting  a  few  shovelfuls  of 


PRUNING   AND   TRAINING. 


155 


156  THE    GRAPE   CULTUKIST. 

manure  and  two  quarts  of  bone  dust,  mixing  it  with  the 
soil  as  it  is  put  around  the  roots. 

Let  but  one  cane  grow,  and  keep  tied  to  a  stake.  The 
first  point  to  be  gained  is  to  get  one  cane  six  to  ten  feet 
long,  and  if  not  obtained  the  first  season,  cut  back  and  try 
again.  So  soon  as  we  have  obtained  the  strong  cane,  it 
should  be  cut  back  to  four  feet  and  then  layered.  This 
operation  should  be  performed  in  the  spring  in  the  follow- 
ing manner :  dig  a  trench  five  or  six  inches  deep,  running 
from  vine  to  vine,  bend  down  the  vines  and  fasten  them 
in  the  bottom,  and  leave  them  uncovered. 

There  should  be  a  space  of  a  few  inches  between  the  end 
of  each  vine  when  layered  and  the  next  one  in  the  row ; 
and  if  planted  four  and  a  half  feet  apart,  and  the  cane  left 
only  four  feet,  a  space  of  six  inches  will  be  left. 

When  the  young  shoots  have  made  a  growth  of  an  inch 
or  two,  select  from  four  to  six  for  upright  canes,  and  rub 
the  others  off.  Put  a  stake  to  each,  and  so  soon  as  it  is 
long  enough,  tie  it  up.  When  the  young  canes  are  one 
foot  high,  an  inch  or  two  of  soil  may  be  put  in  around 
them,  and  some  more  compost  or  bone  dust  be  mixed  with 
it.  The  trench  may  be  filled  up  gradually  until  it  is  full. 
Fig.  55  shows  the  position  of  the  vines ;  on  the  left  hand 
is  shown  the  vine  with  the  one  cane  ;  the  next  vine  to  the 
right  is  the  same  laid  in  the  trench,  with  the  young  shoots 
a  few  inches  long ;  the  third  shows  the  vine  in  the  fall, 
with  its  canes  at  full  length,  and  the  trench  filled.  The 
small  lines  crossing  the  canes  show  where  they  are  to  be 
pruned  in  the  full,  that  is,  two  buds  above  where  they  are 
pruned  at  the  regular  annual  pruning.  The  next  season 
the  upper  two  buds  on  these  canes  should  be  allowed  to 
grow,  and  the  others  removed ;  at  the  end  of  the  season  the 
vine  will  appear  as  shown  in  Fig.  56,  which  represents  the 
same  on  a  larger  scale,  and  for  want  of  space  but  five  of  the 
canes  are  shown. 

These  canes  are  now  treated  the  same  as  though  the  arm 


PRUNING    AND   TRAINING. 


157 


158  THE    GEAPE   CULTURIST. 

were  above  ground  and  fastened  to  the  lower  bar,  instead 
of  being  a  foot  and  a  half  below  it.  The  vine  is  spur- 
pruned,  but  the  spurs  are  eighteen  inches  long  at  the  com- 
mencement. By  referring  again  to  Fig.  56,  in  the  second 
vine  from  the  left  hand,  b  shows  where  the  one  cane  is  to 
be  cut  away,  and  a  where  the  other  is  pruned  to  two 
buds.  The  first  vine  at  the  left  is  shown  as  it  is  supposed 
to  appear  at  the  next  year,  or  after  it  has  been  twice 
pruned.  It  was  cut  off  at  #,  and  the  two  canes  were  pro- 
duced from  the  two  "buds  left.  Now  the  left-hand  cane  is 
cut  away  at  a,  and  the  right-hand  cane  pruned  off  at  the 
line  just  above  the  lower  bar,  leaving  the  buds  (e,  d)  to 
produce  two  more  arms.  The  vines  are  pruned  the  same 
each  year  as  though  they  were  short  spurs  upon  horizontal 
arms. 

If  six  canes  are  left  on  such  a  vine  at  first,  it  will  be 
necessary,  after  two  or  three  years,  to  cut  out  every  other 
one,  for  they  will  require  more  room  as  they  increase  in 
size.  But  the  amount  of  fruit  need  not  be  lessened,  for 
instead  of  two  canes  from  each  vine,  they  may  be  allowed 
to  carry  four,  or  the  number  may  be  increased  to  six  or 
eight,  but  each  one  of  these,  in  pruning,  should  be  cut  back 
to  two  buds.  When  it  is  desirable  to  increase  the  number 
of  canes,  it  is  only  necessary  to  prune  each  one  to  two  buds, 
instead  of  removing  one  of  them  entire,  as  is  usually  done 
in  pruning  to  two  buds. 

The  increased  strength  which  is  given  to  the  vine  treated 
in  this  manner  is  very  considerable,  because  roots  issue 
from  every  portion  of  it  that  is  buried,  and  each  spur  is 
not  only  furnished  with  roots  at  its  base,  but  it  also  has 
the  assistance- of  the  original  roots.  Vines  that  are  natu- 
rally but  feeble  growers  at  best,  will  grow  strong  and  vig- 
orous when  layered  as  I  have  described.  It  is  also  very 
easy  to  protect  vines  when  grown  in  this  manner,  especially 
if  the  spurs  are  kept  within  a  foot  of  the  ground.  Let  the 
rows  run  east  and  west,  then  nail  a  board  of  sufficient 


PKUSING    AND    TRAINING.  150 

width  to  come  above  the  spurs  on  the  north  side  of  the 
trellis,  and  at  the  approach  of  cold  weather  put  another  on 
the  south  side,  and  the  space  between  may  be  filled  with 
tan-bark,  sawdust,  sand,  or  soil,  or  the  narrow  space  along 
the  top  may  be  covered  with  any  old  strips  of  sacks  or 
similar  material.  The  most  that  is  usually  needed  is  to 
keep  the  vine  from  frequent  freezing  and  thawing. 

The  amount  of  fruit  obtained  per  acre  is  about  the  same 
as  with  the  system  of  low  training  with  two  arms,  but  it 
requires  double  the  number  of  vines  in  the  beginning. 

The  same  style  of  trellis  is  used  as  for  the  other  systems, 
and  the  same  amount  of  pinching  of  the  fruiting  canes  and 
stopping  of  the  laterals  is  required. 

The  four  systems  that  have  been  described  are  the  same 
in  principle,  only  the  details  are  varied  to  suit  different 
circumstances,  and  these  details  may  be  varied  indefinitely, 
so  long  as  we  do  not  undermine  the  foundation  upon  which 
the  structure  is  built. 


160  THE   GKAPE    CULTUKIST, 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

GAEDEN   CULTUKB. 

THE  greatest  obstacles  in  the  way  of  cultivating  the 
grape  in  gardens,  particularly  in  cities  and  villages,  are, 
the  want  of  circulation  of  air  and  the  excess  of  shade,  or 
both.  Still,  with  these  difficulties  there  are  some  advan- 
tages :  protection  from  cold  in  winter,  and  greater  heat  in 
summer,  which  cause  the  fruit  to  ripen  early,  so  that  upon 
the  whole  there  is  about  the  same  chance  of  success  in  city 
gardens  as  in  the  open  country. 

There  are  few  gardens  either  in  city  or  country  where 
there  may  not  be  found  a  sunny  spot  sufficiently  large  to 
accommodate  a  few  vines.  It  is  often  the  case  in  cities 
that  the  only  spot  that  the  sun  reaches  in  the  whole  garden 
is  covered  with  a  brick  or  stone  walk.  When  this  is  the 
case,  it  does  not  prevent  the  planting  of  the  vine,  as  the 
walk  may  be  taken  up,  the  soil  beneath  it  made  deep  and 
rich,  the  vine  planted,  and  the  walk  re-laid,  leaving  the  top 
of  the  vine  coming  out  at  one  side.  Or  the  vine  may  be 
planted  on  the  side  of  the  walk,  and  kept  trained  to  a  stake 
until  it  has  produced  one  long  stout  cane.  Then  take  up 
the  walk  between  it  and  the  building  or  wall  on  which  we 
desire  to  train  it,  remove  the  poor  soil  and  substitute  that 
which  is  rich,  for  two  feet  wide  and  the  same  in  depth, 
and  lay  down  the  vine  in  this,  bring  up  the  cane  on  the 
other  side  and  replace  the  walk. 

This  is  a  much  better  plan  than  to  place  the  roots  near 
or  against  the  foundation  of  a  building,  because  in  such  a 
position  they  usually  receive  too  much  heat  in  summer  and 
are  too  wet  in  winter. 

The  roots  of  the  vine  will  grow  as  readily  under  a  pave- 


GARDEN    CULTURE.  161 

merit  as  anywhere,  provided  the  soil  is  not  too  wet ;  the 
surface  of  the  soil  being  covered,  it  seldom  becomes  dry, 
and  the  pavement  absorbs  a  great  amount  of  heat,  which 
passes  through  it  to  the  soil,  furnishing  sufficient  to  keep 
up  a  healthy  action  of  the  roots.  The  most  important 
thing  in  preparing  a  place  for  a  vine  is  to  secure  proper 
drainage,  because  where  there  is  much  shade  the  soil  is 
usually  very  wet ;  and  to  avoid  injury  to  the  roots  from 
excess  of  moisture,  deep  trenching  or  drainage  is  indis- 
pensable. It  may  not  always  be  necessary  to  dig  very  deep 
at  the  exact  point  where  the  vine  is  to  be  planted ;  in  fact, 
this  would  more  often  be  injurious  than  otherwise.  But 
let  the  deepest  digging  be  at  some  distance  from  it,  so  that 
the  water  as  it  descends  may  be  carried  away  from  the 
vine,  instead  of  being  drawn  under  it. 

One  of  the  most  common  errors  committed  in  tree  as 
well  as  vine  planting,  is  that  of  digging  deep  holes  at  the 
point  where  the  plant  is  to  be  set,  and  then  filling  them  up 
with  loose  soil,  and  in  this  place  the  roots.  These  holes 
only  serve  to  drain  the  surrounding  soil,  receiving  mois- 
ture instead  of  repelling  it.  This  would  certainly  be  bene- 
ficial in  very  porous  dry  soils,  but  in  wet  ones  it  is  injurious. 
If  the  ground  can  not  all  be  trenched,  let  the  holes  be  made 
large,  and  at  the  point  where  the  vine  is  to  be  set,  not 
more  than  eighteen  inches  deep,  and  at  the  outside  two  feet 
deep ;  this  will  cause  the  water  to  settle  away  from  the  vine. 
When  the  soil  is  very  heavy,  it  is  best  to  dig  a  trench 
and  set  the  vine  at  one  end,  letting  the  bottom  of  the 
trench  descend  from  the  vine  to  the  farthest  point ;  any 
old  rubbish,  such  as  brick,  stone,  bone,  etc.,  may  be  placed 
in  the  bottom  of  the  trench  to  secure  a  better  drainage. 
When  a  number  of  vines  are  to  be  planted,  a  long,  wide, 
and  deep  trench  should  be  made  and  filled  with  good  soil ; 
this  will  make  what  is  usually  termed  a  border.  Four  feet 
wide  and  two  feet  deep  will  answer  every  purpose,  unless 
the  method  of  training  to  be  adopted  requires  the  vines  to 


162  THE   GRAPK   CTJLTTJEIST. 

be  planted  very  near  together  ;  if  so,  then  it  may  be  neces- 
sary to  make  the  border  six  or  eight  feet  wide. 

When  the  border  is  first  made,  it  should  be  a  few  inches 
above  the  level  of  the  surrounding  surface-soil,  as  it  will 
usually  settle,  and  frequently  require  a  considerable  addi- 
tion of  soil  to  prevent  it  being  too  low.  If  the  border  was 
made  only  level  with  the  surface  of  the  garden,  when  it 
settled  it  would  carry  the  vines  down  with  it,  and  when 
filled  up,  the  roots  of  the  vines  would  be  buried  too  deep. 
When  an  outlet  can  be  secured,  either  into  some  hollow  or 
sewer,  it  is  well  to  lay  a  drain  along  the  bottom  at  one 
side  of  the  border.  This  drain  may  be  made  of  tile,  brick, 
or  stone,  and  should  descend  at  least  one  foot  in  a  hundred 
to  secure  the  rapid  passage  of  the  water. 

Drains  made  of  stone  should  be  covered  with  sods,  straw, 
wood  shavings,  or  some  similar  materials,  before  the  trench 
is  filled,  as  these  will  prevent  the  fine  soil  entering  and  fill- 
ing it  up.  In  Avet  and  heavy  soils  it  is  a  great  point  gained 
to  secure  a  thorough  and  permanent  drainage. 

The  materials  used  in  making  the  border  may  be  the 
same  as  are  used  in  the  vineyard,  but  as  they  are  not 
always  to  be  had,  others  may  be  used,  avoiding  always  all 
fresh  unfermented  manures.  If  old  manures  can  not  be 
had,  make  the  border  entirely  of  soil,  and  if  clayey,  add 
sand ;  use  ground  bones  and  charcoal  to  put  around  the 
roots  when  first  planted,  and  then  apply  the  fresh  manure 
to  the  surface,  forking  it  in  after  it  has  become  rotted.  A 
little  lime,  plaster,  or  ashes  may  be  added  to  the  border, 
but  not  in  any  great  quantity,  as  there  is  more  danger  of 
applying  too  much  of  such  materials  than  too  little.  There 
is  usually  an  abundance  of  materials  about  a  city  or  village 
that  may  be  used  for  manure,  but  most  of  them  should  be 
used  with  caution,  as  it  is  difficult  to  determine  what  in- 
jurious ingredients  they  may  contain.  It  is  much  the 
safest  way  to  use  stable  manure,  when  it  can  be  had,  or  in 
place  of  it,  ground  bones,  poudrette,  etc.,  adding  sods, 


GARDEN    CULTURE.  163 

leaves,  or  charcoal,  as  much  to  lighten  the  soil  and  make  it 
more  friable,  as  for  their  fertilizing  qualities. 

One  of  the  most  pernicious  practices  in  cities  is,  the  con- 
tinual drenching  of  the  grape  borders  with  slops  from  the 
house  j  this  has  become  common  from  the  well-known  fact 
that  they  often  contain  a  large  amount  of  manurial  ingre- 
dients. But  the  large  amount  of  water  accompanying 
them  usually  renders  them  more  injurious  than  beneficial. 

An  occasional  application  of  this  kind  may  be  of  service, 
if  the  borders  are  well  drained ;  but  a  better  way  of  sav- 
ing such  materials  is  to  dig  a  hole  or  make  a  cistern  in 
some  out-of-the-way  place,  then  add  charcoal  or  dry  muck 
sufficient  to  absorb  the  moisture,  and  when  the  place  be- 
comes filled,  take  out  the  manure,  add  a  little  plaster,  and 
then  it  is  ready  for  use.  In  this  manner  it  becomes  deodor- 
ized and  is  really  an  excellent  manure  for  the  vine. 

There  is  one  other  point  upon  which  a  word  of  caution 
may  not  be  amiss,  namely,  not  to  apply  top-dressings  of 
strong  manures  in  summer,  for  this  will  usually  cause  the 
vines  to  produce  a  late  growth,  which  it  is  always  desirable 
to  avoid.  The  best  time  to  apply  a  top-dressing  is  in  the 
fall,  as  it  then  serves  to  protect  the  roots  during  the  win- 
ter, and  the  fertilizing  materials  are  carried  down  by  the 
rains,  and  ready  for  use  when  the  vine  starts  in  the  spring, 
and  a  steady  uniform  growth  is  insured.  It  is  not  advisa- 
ble to  grow  any  plants  except  the  vines  in  the  border ;  but 
where  there  is  a  scarcity  of  room,  a  few  bulbous  rooted  or 
annual  plants  may  be  grown.  If  they  are  of  the  latter  kind, 
it  is  best  that  they  should  be  trailing  plants,  such  as  ver- 
benas, portulacca,  etc.,  as  these  spread  over  the  soil  and 
operate  in  a  measure  as  a  mulch ;  still,  they  absorb  more 
moisture  from  the  soil  than  their  shade  assists  in  retaining. 
No  deep-rooted  perennial  plant  should  be  planted  near 
the  vine.  Neither  should  large  shrubs  or  trees  be  placed 
where  they  will  continually  shade  the  ground,  for  the  roots 
of  the  vine  as  well  as  the  branches  require  warmth. 


164  THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

* 

POSITION   OF  BORDER. 

The  position  of  the  border  will  depend  somewhat  upon 
that  of  the  garden;  but  any  exposure  except  a  direct 
northern  one  will  do,  and  even  this  will  answer  provided 
the  place  is  not  in  the  shade  more  than  half  the  day.  The 
best  position,  however,  is  upon  the  south  side  of  a  building, 
or  high  fence,  or  wall.  An  eastern  or  western  exposure 
will  answer  every  purpose,  because  the  heat  and  light  are 
far  more  intense  in  such  positions  than  in  the  open  vine- 
yard. 

TRAINING  THE  VINES. 

When  the  vines  are  grown  in  large  open  gardens,  where 
there  is  plenty  of  room,  the  same  general  system  of  train- 
ing may  be  followed  that  has  been  given  for  the  vineyard. 
The  two-tier  system,  as  shown  on  page  142,  is  preferable 
for  garden  culture  to  any  of  the  others,  except  in  more 
northern  sections  of  the  country ;  then  the  oblique  arm  is 
the  best. 

Circumstances,  however,  will  often  occur,  when  it  will 
be  necessary  to  deviate  somewhat  from  any  of  the  plans 
given,  to  better  suit  the  particular  location  in  which  we 
are  obliged  to  plant.  These  variations  may  be  innumera- 
ble ;  still,  if  no  fundamental  principle  is  interfered  with, 
success  is  just  as  certain  as  though  the  plans  laid  down 
were  strictly  followed.  For  instance,  we  havQ  endeavored 
to  show  that  vines  are  more  productive  and  yield  better 
fruit  when  trained  horizontally  than  perpendicularly ;  but 
it  will  make  very  little  difference  whether  the  arms  are 
three  feet  long  or  thirty,  provided  they  are  not  extended 
too  far  in  any  one  season. 

Neither  does  it  matter  whether  the  arms  start  from  one 
foot  above  the  ground  or  at  ten,  so  far  as  principle  is  con- 
cerned ;  but  when  it  is  desirable  to  produce  arms  at  a  great 


GAKDEN   CULTURE. 


165 


height,  we  must  do  it  gradually,  and  not  endeavor  to  ac- 
complish it  in  one  season.  In  the  vineyard,  the  best  pos- 
sible position  for  the  arms  may  be  one  foot  from  the 
ground,  while  in  a  garden  surrounded  by  high  walls,  ten 
feet  might  be  far  better  than  any  point  below  it. 

It  is  therefore  impossible  to  give  a  plan  that  will  suit 
every  position ;  but  the  horizontal  arm  should  be  the  main 
point  aimed  at,  whether  it  be  long  or  short,  high  or  low. 
The  vines  may  also  be  trained  with  only  one  arm  instead 
of  two. 


F.g  57. 

Fig.  57  shows  a  vine  with  one  arm  having  only  five 
spurs,  but  it  may  be  extended  by  bending  down  the  right- 
hand  upright  cane,  and  in  this  manner  the  arm  may  be 
lengthened  as  required.  The  season  previous  to  extending 
the  arm,  the  end  cane  should  be  allowed  to  grow  four  or 
five  feet  long,  instead  of  stopping  it  at  the  usual  height,  so 
as  to  have  a  strong  cane  to  lay  down.  Three  to  four  feet 
is  about  as  much  as  should  be  added  to  the  arm  in  one 
season,  for  if  a  cane  of  more  than  four  feet  is  laid  down, 
some  of  the  buds  will  often  fail  to  grow. 

The  vine  may  be  planted,  if  need  be,  several  feet  from 
where  we  wish  to  train  it,  and  the  arm  be  allowed  to  ex- 
tend that  distance  without  producing  upright  canes,  as  it 


166 


THE    GRAPE   CULTURIST. 


will  make  no  difference  in  the  result  whether  the  sap  flows 
through  one  or  ten  feet  before  it  reaches  the  leaves. 

FOUR   TIERS   OF   ARMS. 

Sometimes  it  is  desirable  to  fill  a  certain  space  which  is 
higher  than  would  be  occupied  by  two  tiers  of  arms ;  if  so, 
plant  the  vines  only  two  feet  apart  instead  of  four,  and 
form  four  tiers  in  the  same  way  as  we  formed  the  two  tiers. 
Or  two  tiers  of  arms  may  be  formed  from  one  vine,  although 
it  will  take  a  year  or  two  longer  than  it  would  to  plant 
more  vines,  and  only  take  two  arms  from  each  one. 

Fig.  58  is  a  very  correct  representation  of  an  old  Hart- 
ford Prolific  vine,  with  two  tiers  of  arms  from  the  same 
vine.  The  arms  are  eight  feet  long,  so  that  the  vine  covers 
a  space  sixteen  feet  long  and  only  six  feet  high.  There 
are  ten  spurs  upon  each  arm,  making  forty  in  all,  giving 
eighty  upright  bearing  canes,  and  it  is  allowed  to  bear  from 
two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred  bunches  annually. 
Last  season  it  produced  two  hundred  and  fifty-six  bunches. 

I  have  introduced  this  vine  here  for  two  purposes :  first, 
to  show  how  an  old  vine  that  has  been  grown  without  any 
system  of  training  may  be  brought  into  a  good  form ;  and 
second,  that  I  may  more  thoroughly  impress  upon  the  mind 
of  the  reader  the  importance  of  training  vines  with  hori- 
zontal arms,  for  the  purpose  of  improving  the  quality  of 
fruit  as  weh1  as  controlling  the  growth  of  the  vine.  Hav- 
ing an  old  Hartford  Prolific  vine  in  my  garden,  the  fruit 
of  which  could  usually  be  shaken  off  so  soon  as  ripe,  I 
thought  I  would  try  and  see  if  the  arm  and  spur  system 
would  have  any  effect  upon  it,  and  in  any  degree  remedy 
this  defect. 

It  is  now  as  shown  in  the  engraving,  and  the  fruit  has 
not  only  improved  in  size  and  flavor,  but  it  adheres  so  well 
to  the  stem,  that  I  have  kept  it  for  two  months  after  pick- 
ing, and  still  the  berries  would  not  fall  from  the  bunch  if 


GARDEN    CULTURE. 


167 


168  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

handled  carefully.  It  is  now  five  years  since  the  vine  was 
trained  in  this  manner,  and  the  fruit  seems  to  improve  in- 
stead of  deteriorating.  I  do  not  attribute  the  improvement 
in  the  fruit  entirely  to  the  horizontal  arms,  but  only  in  part, 
for  without  doubt  the  spur-pruning  and  the  close  pinching 
of  the  young  shoots  assist  very  much  in  the  development 
of  the  fruit.  The  method  used  to  obtain  these  arms  was 
as  follows : 

The  season  before  I  attempted  to  train  it,  I  cut  the  whole 
vine  back  to  within  about  three  feet  of  the  ground,  and  let 
it  produce  new  shoots  from  whatever  part  they  happened 
to  come.  It  being  an  old  untrained  vine,  as  I  have  stated, 
it  produced  several  very  strong  young  canes,  and  I  cut 
away  all  but  four ;  the  two  upper  ones  started  about  three 
feet  from  the  ground,  these  I  cut  off  to  four  feet  and  laid 
them  down  horizontally ;  they  reached  to  A,  A.  One  of  the 
two  lower  canes  sprung  from  the  old  stem  about  one  foot 
from  the  ground,  and  just  where  it  was  wanted  for  the 
lower  arm,  but  there  was  no  young  cane  opposite  to  form 
the  other.  There  was,  however,  one  that  came  out  from 
near  the  roots,  and  this  was  used  for  the  other  lower  arm 
by  twisting  it  around  behind  the  old  stem,  and  bringing  it 
down  opposite  the  first  arm ;  the  two  arms  were  then  cut 
off  at  A,  A.  The  lower  arms  are  trained  on  the  same  level, 
although  one  of  them  starts  a  foot  or  more  below  the  other. 
This  makes  no  difference  except  in  appearance,  as  it  does 
not  matter  whether  the  arms  start  from  buds  nearly  oppo- 
site or  not ;  all  that  is  requisite  is  to  bring  them  to  nearly 
the  same  height  before  they  are  allowed  to  produce  leaves 
or  fruit.  The  next  season  the  two  end  canes  were  allowed 
to  grow  long  enough  to  lay  down  and  extend  the  arms  to 
their  full  length.  In  selecting  the  buds  for  upright  canes 
I  reserved  some  of  those  on  the  under  side  of  the  arm ;  the 
canes  from  these  bear  fruit  just  as  well  as  those  from  the 
upper  side. 

I  would  not  recommend  this  mode  of  training  for  vine- 


GARDEN    CULTTJKE. 


169 


yard  or  garden,  except  in  cases  like  the  above,  where  it  is 
desirable  to  bring  an  old  strong  vine  into  the  arm  system. 
Vines  that  have  been  trained  with  only  two  arms  may, 
after  they  become  old,  be  allowed  to  produce  an  extra  tier, 
but  the  sap  will  usually  flow  with  greater  force  into  the 
upper  arms,  and  necessitate  the  checking  of  the  canes  on 
them  sooner  than  on  the  lower  ones.  To  produce  a  second 
tier  of  arms  upon  a  vine  having  only  one  tier,  the  bearing 
cane  nearest  the  center  is  allowed  to  remain  at  the  time  of 
the  annual  pruning,  and  the  end  cut  off  at  the  point  where 
it  is  desirable  to  have  the  arms  start.  The  next  season  the 
upper  two  buds  on  it  are  allowed  to  grow  for  the  arms, 
and  the  following  season  they  are  laid  down  for  a  second 
tier. 

DOUBLE  STEM. 

A  few  years  since  I  had  some  vines  growing  in  a  border 
on  the  south  side  of  a  wall.     They  started  so  early  that 


most  of  the  young  shoots  were  cut  off  by  a  late  frost ;  con- 
sequently the  buds  which  I  had  selected  for  arms  were 
destroyed.  The  vines  being  young,  new  shoots  started 

8 


1TO  THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

from  below  the  ground.  I  cat  away  all  the  old  stem,  and 
selected  two  of  the  strongest  shoots  that  came  up,  and 
cut  off  the  others.  These  two  shoots  were  kept  tied  to  a 
stake  during  the  season,  the  laterals  pinched,  etc.  The 
next  spring  the  two  canes  were  laid  down  for  arms ;  those 
for  the  upper  tier  were  twisted  around  each  other,  and 
then  laid  down  and  fastened  to  the  middle  bar. 

Fig.  59  shows  one  of  these  vines  at  the  present  time. 
Accidents  will  often  happen  in  vineyards  as  well  as  in  gar- 
dens, rendering  it  necessary  to  have  recourse  to  some  such 
plan  to  restore  lost  arms  without  loss  of  time.  This  is  per- 
fectly practicable,  and  the  final  result  will  be  as  satisfactory 
as  though  there  had  been  no  interference  with  the  plan 
laid  down  at  the  beginning.  Many  other  variations  from 
the  usual  course  of  proceeding  might  be  given,  but  I  have 
mentioned  enough  to  show  that  a  general  principle  may  be 
taken  as  a  guide  in  grape  culture,  and  still  be  varied  to  suit 
the  different  circumstances  attending  it. 

TRELLISES  IN  GARDENS. 

The  same  form  of  trellis  described  for  the  vineyard  may 
be  used  in  the  garden,  varying  it  in  length,  height,  etc.,  to 
suit  the  position  in  which  it  is  placed,  as  well  as  to  meet 
the  wants  of  any  particular  vine.  The  trellis  is  indispensa- 
ble, as  the  vines  should  never  be  fastened  directly  on  the 
side  of  a  building  or  fence,  but  should  be  at  least  six  inches 
from  them ;  a  foot  is  still  better,  as  this  allows  a  free  cir- 
culation of  air  behind  the  vine,  and  prevents,  in  a  great 
measure,  the  burning  of  the  leaves,  which  usually  occurs 
when  vines  are  laid  against  the  boards  or  wall.  Besides, 
the  surface  on  which  the  vine  is  trained  will  soon  become 
defaced  by  the  constant  rubbing  of  the  leaves  against  it, 
while  the  accumulation  of  dust  and  moisture  will  cause  the 
rapid  decay  of  the  boards ;  and  even  a  stone  or  brick  wall 
will  be  injured  more  or  less  by  having  vines  trained  against 


GARDEN    CULTURE. 


in 


it.     If  the  trellis  is  suspended  by  iron  or  wooden  brackets, 
no  apparent  injury  will  be  done  to  the  surface  behind  it. 

TRAINING  TO  STAKES. 

There  is  seldom  a  garden  so  small  but 
there  is  room  for  at  least  one  grape  vine, 
though  it  is  often  the  case  that  there  is  a 
place  for  a  vine  but  no  room  for  a  trellis  ; 
when  this  occurs,  the  vines  may  be  trained 
to  a  stake,  or  a  number  of  them ;  and  when 
so  trained  they  may  be  planted  among  shrub- 
bery, in  flower  beds,  or  upon  the  lawn. 
There  is  nothing  that  will  add  more  to  the 
beauty  of  the  garden,  or  produce  a  better 
effect  than  vines,  planted  in  groups  or  scat- 
tered here  and  there,  as  is  usual  with  orna- 
mental shrubs  and  plants.  The  vines  in  such 
situations  should  always  be  kept  low  and 
never  permitted  to  produce  long  and  naked 
stems  which  would  become  unsightly  and 
mar  the  beauty  of  the  garden  when  they  be- 
come old.  Prepare  the  soil  as  for  vines  in 
other  situations,  and  grow  but  one  cane  the 
first  season  ;  then  prune  it  down  to  eighteen 
or  twenty-four  inches  from  the  ground  ;  the 
next  season  allow  but  two  canes  to  grow  ; 
pinch  off  the  tops  of  these  when  they  have 
grown  five  or  six  feet,  so  that  they  shall  not 
only  ripen  their  wood  but  become  more 
stocky.  Fig.  60  shows  the  vine  with  two 
canes  at  the  end  of  the  second  season.  If 
the  vine  was  large  and  vigorous  when  planted 
it  will  usually  produce  fruit  the  second  sea- 
son ;  if  so,  pinch  off  the  top  of  each  cane 
when  it  has  grown  about  two  feet ;  this  will  Fig.  eo. 


f 


172 


THE    GKAPE    CULTURIST. 


assist  the  development  of  the  lower  leaves,  which  are  so 
important  to  the  proper  development  of  the  fruit.  When 
they  have  started  and  grown  a  foot  or  two  more,  stop 
them  again ;  they  will  usually  need  checking  several  times 

during  the  season.  The  canes 
should  be  neatly  tied  to  a  stake, 
and  the  laterals  may  be  allowed 
to  grow  a  foot  or  more  before 
being  checked,  as  they  assist  in 
hiding  the  stake,  and  their 
own  weight  causes  them  to 
slightly  droop,  giving  a  more 
pleasing  effect  than  when  all 
is  kept  tied  close  ;  for  when 
vines  are  grown  in  a  flower 
garden  we  endeavor  to  com- 
bine the  ornamental  and  use- 
ful. The  third  year  the  vine 
with  two  canes  should  be  cut 
back  to  two  buds  each.  From 
these  buds  we  produce  four 
shoots,  each  of  which  will  usu- 
ally bear  three  to  five  bunches 
of  fruit,  so  that  we  have  from 
twelve  to  twenty  bunches  on 
the  vine.  Fig.  61  shows  the 
vine  with  four  canes  as  it  will 
be  at  the  end  of  the  third 
season. 

The  vine  may  now  be  pruned 
in  the  same  manner  as  before ; 
that  is,  each  cane  is  cut  down 
to  two  buds,  and  eight  canes 
be  allowed  to  grow  the  fourth 
year ;  or  two  may  be  cut  en- 
FiT  61  tirely  away  and  leave  but  two 


GARDEN   CULTURE, 


173 


THE   GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

buds  on  the  others.  If  eight  canes  are  produced,  they  will 
require  one  additional  stake  or  a  trellis,  so  that  they  may 
be  spread  out  and  give  a  better  opportunity  for  growth. 
Fig.  62  shows  the  vine  with  eight  canes  as  it  appears  when 
trained  on  a  trellis.  This  vine  may  be  again  pruned  in  the 
same  manner,  and  twelve  or  sixteen  canes  allowed  to  grow ; 
and  this  is  essentially  the  same  system  practiced  in  some 
of  the  vineyards  at  the  present  time,  and  it  answers  very 
well  if  a  portion  of  the  canes  are  cut  away  each  year,  so 
that  they  will  not  become  too  much  crowded. 

The  system  when  carried  to  the  extent  of  thirty  to  forty 
canes  becomes  quite  complicated,  and  it  is  difficult  to  dis- 
tribute the  fruit  so  widely  and  evenly  as  when  the  vine  is 
trained  with  arms.  But  when  the  vines  are  grown  in  small 
gardens,  four  or  six  canes  are  as  many  as  should  be  allowed 
on  those  trained  to  stakes. 

There  is  no  difficulty  in  keeping  the  vines  within  a  small 
space,  and  with  the  main  stem  only  a  foot  or  two  high. 
All  that  is  necessary  is  to  keep  the  young  growth  checked 
during  the  summer,  and  when  pruning  the  vine,  leave  only 
those  buds  which  are  required  to  produce  fruiting  canes. 

I  test  all  the  new  varieties  in  this  way,  never  going  to 
the  expense  of  erecting  trellises  for  them  until  they  have 
proved  themselves  worthy  of  it.  The  vines  will  remain 
just  as  healthy  when  grown  in  this  manner  as  when  allowed 
to  spread  over  a  space  of  fifty  or  one  hundred  feet.  I  am 
well  aware  that  theorists  assert  that  the  vine  must  have 
room  to  expand  and  extend  its  branches  as  it  grows  old  ; 
but  one  fact  is  worth  any  number  of  theories,  and  there 
are  thousands  of  vines  in  Europe  that  are  from  fifty  to  one 
hundred  years  old,  the  main  stems  of  which  are  not  two  feet 
high.  These  vines  are  pruned  back  to  the  stump  every 
year,  and  yet  they  live  and  bear  fruit  of  the  best  quality. 
We  have  no  such  vines  in  this  country,  nor  is  there  any 
necessity  for  ever  having  any,  because  there  are  better 
plans  in  use ;  but  there  is  no  reason  why  our  indigenous 


GARDEN    CULTURE.  175 

varieties  may  not  be  dwarfed  as  well  as  the  European 
kinds.  Fig.  63  shows  one  of  the  old  vines  of  Europe. 
This  vine  represents  what  is  termed  "  head-pruning ;"  the 


Fig.  63. 

vine  being  pruned  in  close  to  the  stump  every  year,  and 
the  accessory  buds  are  mainly  depended  upon  for  produc- 
ing the  bearing  canes. 


Fig.  64. 

Fig.  64  shows  another  form,  which  is  called  "  buck  prun- 
ing."    The  head  is  allowed  to  divide  into  several  parts, 


176  THE    GEAPE    CULTURIST. 

thereby  allowing  it  to  produce  more  fruit  than  upon  those 
that  are  pruned  to  one  head.  This  is  an  old  Hungarian 
mode,  and  it  is  still  practiced  in  many  parts  of  Europe. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  Figs.  63,  64,  62,  and  45,  he  can 
gee  at  a  glance  the  improvements  which  have  been  made  in 
the  form  of  training  the  vine  from  the  days  of  the  ancient 
Romans  down  to  the  present  time.  And  it  will  be  readily 
seen  that  they  are  all  founded  upon  the  same  principle,  the 
only  difference  being  that  the  top  of  the  vine  is  extended 
more  in  one  than  in  the  other.  They  are  all  pruned  on  the 
renewal  system — that  is,  all  the  young  shoots  are  cut  back 
every  year. 

Within  the  range  of  these  four  plans  and  their  variations 
are  comprised  all  the  successful  systems  that  have  ever 
been  invented.  The  head  pruning  is  practiced  upon  the 
poorest  of  soils,  and  the  buck  pruning  on  soils  that  are  only 
moderately  rich,  and  the  other  two  upon  rich  soils,  and 
with  the  strongest  growing  varieties. 

There  is,  however,  a  system  of  training  in  use  in  Lom- 
bardy  that  differs  from  any  of  those  given  ;  but  it  should 
not  be  called  an  artificial  system,  because  the  vines  are  al- 
lowed to  grow  upon  trees,  as  they  would  in  their  wild 
state,  no  particular  method  of  training  or  pruning  being 
adopted.  The  vines  bear  as  well  as  they  would  in  their 
wild  state,  but  the  process  is  a  slow  and  tedious  one  at 
best. 

GIRDLING  THE  VINE. 

If  the  reader  will  turn  back  to  Fig.  62  he  will  see  that 
one  of  the  canes  is  shown  as  girdled  (A)  ;  also  the  part  of 
the  same  that  has  been  girdled  is  shown  at  the  left  and  be- 
low the  figure.  This  operation,  though  often  producing 
remarkable  results,  is  still  of  questionable  utility. 

That  it  causes  the  fruit  to  grow  much  beyond  its  natural 
size  is  certain,  but  the  quality  is  never  improved,  and 
usually  very  much  injured.  The  practical  results  of  such 


GARDEN    CULTURE.  177 

an  operation  seem  to  be,  to  cause  the  fruit  to  assume  the 
appearance  of  ripeness  much  earlier  than  it  would  other- 
wise, and  become  so  much  increased  in  size  as  often  to 
take  the  prizes  at  horticultural  shows,  where  the  judges 
are  often  influenced  by  appearance  instead  of  quality. 
Many  a  dropsical  cluster  of  grapes  has  been  awarded  a 
premium  over  the  rich  well-ripened  cluster  of  the  same  va- 
riety, merely  because  it  had  a  fine  appearance. 

The  girdling  may  be  done  at  any  time  in  the  spring  after 
the  vine  starts,  up  to  the  time  the  fruit  is  fully  grown. 
But  unless  it  is  done  several  weeks  before  the  fruit  com- 
mences to  ripen,  it  will  have  but  little  effect.  The  best 
time  to  perform  the  operation  is  just  before  or  soon  after 
the  fruit  is  set.  The  mode  of  operation  is  as  follows :  cut 
away  a  ring  of  the  bark,  from  one  fourth  to  one  half  inch 
wide,  clear  to  the  true  wood.  It  may  be  performed  on  old 
wood,  or  upon  the  young  canes  when  they  have  made  a 
foot  or  two  of  growth,  but  the  last  year's  wood  is  prefera- 
ble, and  it  should  be  done  only  on  that  which  you  intend 
to  prune  away. 

The  incision  is  always  made  below  the  bunch  which  it  is 
desired  to  affect.  The  bunches  above  the  incision  become 
much  larger  than  those  below  it ;  this  is  said  to  be  caused 
by  the  obstruction  of  the  downward  flow  of  the  sap  to  the 
roots. 

The  practice  of  girdling  the  vine  for  the  purpose  of  af- 
fecting the  fruit  is  supposed  to  have  been  invented  about 
1745,  by  Col.  Buchatt,  of  Metz,  in  France.  For  this  he 
was  awarded  a  premium  by  the  Agricultural  Society  of 
France.  It  was  claimed  that  the  invention  would  be  of 
great  value  in  hastening  the  maturity  of  the  grape,  as  well 
as  improving  the  quality ;  but  it  is  doubtful  if  either  of 
these  results  has  been  obtained  in  its  practice. 


178 


THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 


REMOVING  THE  LEAVES. 

There  are  many  persons,  in  cities  especially,  who  are  in 
the  habit  of  removing  a  portion  of  the  leaves  from  their 
grape  vines  just  before  the  fruit  begins  to  ripen,  for  the 
purpose,  as  they  say,  of  hastening  it.  This  is  perhaps  one 
of  the  most  absurd  ideas  that  could  be  possibly  entertained, 
as  the  grape  ripens  better  in  the  shade  than  when  exposed 
to  the  sun ;  besides,  the  ripening  process  is  conducted  al- 
most entirely  by  the  leaves,  the  grape  being  one  of  those 
fruits  that  must  be  ripened  on  the  vine  or  not  at  all ;  and 
if  it  is  picked  before  ripe,  the  process  is  immediately  stop- 
ped, there  being  no  further  improvement  in  flavor.  If  the 
leaves  near  the  fruit  are  taken  off,  ripening  is  not  only 
checked,  but  often  entirely  stopped. 

The  fruit  that  is  exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun 
after  the  leaves  have  been  taken  away,  may  change  its 
color,  but  it  seldom  ripens.  It  is  not  only  necessary  that 
^  there  should  be  good  healthy 

leaves  on  the  fruiting  cane, 
but  they  should  be  near  the 
fruit.  Every  one  who  has 
seen  grapes  upon  the  vine  must 
have  observed  that  there  is  al- 
ways a  leaf  opposite  to  every 
bunch  of  fruit ;  that  this  leaf  is 
of  great  importance  to  that  par- 
ticular bunch  is  certain.  In 
Fig.  65  the  connection  between 
the  two  is  shown  ;  a  is  a  portion 
of  the  stem  of  a  bunch  of  fruit ; 
c  is  the  leaf-stalk;  the  pith  is 
shown  in  the  center,  being  the 
broad  dark  line  running  length- 
wise of  the  cane ;  this  occupies 
-  65  more  than  one  third  of  its  di- 


GARDEN    CULTUKE.  179 

ameter,  but  is  divided  at  d  by  wood  which  unites  the  two 
sides  of  the  stem.  Now  whether  the  sap  crosses  directly 
through  the  young  cane  from  leaf  to  fruit,  or  around  the 
pith,  is  not  positively  known,  but  that  there  is  a  connection 
between  them  by  which  the  fruit  is  benefited,  can  be  readily 
demonstrated  by  removing  the  leaf  early  in  the  season. 
When  this  is  done,  the  fruit  is  not  so  perfect  as  when  it 
remains. 

This  imperfection  is  not  altogether  owing  to  the  loss  of 
shade  which  the"  leaf  afforded,  because  if  the  same  amount 
of  shade  is  given  the  fruit  artificially,  it  is  still  more  or  less 
affected.  If  the  lateral  (b)  remains  with  a  leaf  or  two  upon 
it,  the  injury  to  the  fruit  is  not  so  marked,  because  its 
leaves  perform,  in  part,  the  functions  of  the  one  removed.* 
One  great  object  in  pinching  off  the  end  of  the  growing 
canes  is  to  cause  the  leaves  to  grow  larger,  thicker,  and 
better  able  to  assist  in  perfecting  the  fruit ;  therefore  the 
main  leaves  on  the  btem  should  never  be  removed,  and  es- 
pecially let  those  that  are  near  or  opposite  the  fruit  be 
carefully  preserved. 


180  THE    GRAPE    CULTUKIST. 


CHAPTEE    XVII. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

THINNING  THE  FRUIT. — There  are  very  few  varieties  of 
grapes,  cultivated  in  the  open  air,  that  require  the  thinning 
out  of  the  fruit  to  enable  them  to  ripen.  Most  of  the  na- 
tive varieties  have  bunches  sufficiently  open  and  loose  to 
allow  the  air  to  circulate  freely  among  the  berries  and  aid 
'them  in  ripening.  If  a  portion  of  the  berries  are  removed, 
those  remaining  will  certainly  grow  much  larger  than  if  all 
were  allowed  to  mature.  There  are  some  varieties  that 
have  naturally  very  compact  bunches,  so  much  so  that  all 
of  the  berries  will  seldom  ripen  unless  a  portion  of  them 
are  removed.  With  such  as  these  it  is  best  to  cut  out  a 
part  of  the  berries  so  soon  as  they  are  fully  formed.  This 
thinning  should  be  done  with  a  pair  of  sharp-pointed  scis- 
sors, cutting  out  from  one  fourth  to  one  half  the  berries, 
taking  them  from  different  parts  of  the  bunch,  so  that  when 
it  is  fully  grown  it  will  be  uniform,  and  the  berries  will  not 
be  any  more  crowded  upon  one  part  than  another. 

It  would  scarcely  be  practicable  to  thin  out  the  berries  of 
ah1  the  bunches  in  a  vineyard,  and  no  one  would  think  of 
cultivating  extensively  a  variety  that  required  it;  still, 
there  are  varieties  which  are  highly  recommended  by  some 
persons,  that  will  seldom  mature  more  than  half  the  fruit 
that  sets.  The  bunches  of  these  should  be  thinned. 

These  varieties  often  possess  valuable  qualities,  and  if 
persons  have  time  to  give  them  the  requisite  care,  really 
excellent  fruit  may  be  obtained.  There  is  scarcely  a  bet- 
ter or  more  beautiful  grape  than  the  Herbemont,  when  it 
is  grown  in  a  warm,  protected  situation  and  its  fruit  prop- 


MISCELLANEOUS.  181 

erly  thinned,  and  there  is  none  more  worthless  if  an  op- 
posite course  is  pursued. 

The  compactness  of  the  bunch  is  often  variable  with  the 
same  variety  in  different  localities  ;  in  one  the  berries  may 
be  very  much  crowded,  arid  in  another  comparatively  loose. 
In  the  former  case  the  berries  will  not  only  be  much  small- 
er, but  they  will  often  burst  open,  especially  if  they  have  a 
very  thin  skin. 

Those  varieties  that  produce  very  compact  bunches  are 
always  benefited  (in  appearance  at  least)  by  thinning  the 
berries,  and  those  who  are  growing  such  with  the  expect- 
ation of  making  show  bunches,  should  not  neglect  this 
operation. 

Sometimes  it  may  be  beneficial  to  remove  whole  bunches, 
but  when  the  vines  are  properly  pruned  and  trained,  this 
will  seldom  be  necessary. 

GATHERING  THE   FRUIT. 

Grapes  are  usually  gathered  long  before  they  are  really 
ripe.  Sometimes  this  is  done  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
them  into  market  early  ;  in  other  cases  it  may  be  because 
they  appear  to  be  ripe,  when,  in  fact,  the  ripening  process 
has  only  commenced.  Nearly  all  varieties  change  their 
color  fifteen  to  twenty  days  before  they  are  fully  matured ; 
and  as  the  grape  is  one  of  those  fruits  that  must  ripen  be- 
fore being  gathered,  or  not  at  all,  it  must  be  apparent  that 
too  much  care  is  not  likely  to  be  given  upon  this  point. 

It  is  natural  to  be  impatient  for  the  harvest,  particularly 
when  we  have  waited  so  long,  and  watched  with  so  much 
care  and  anxiety  for  the  ripening  of  our  fruit;  still,  a  little 
haste  maybe  more  fatal  than  considerable  delay ;  for  grapes 
that  are  over-ripe  keep  much  better  than  those  that  are  not 
fully  ripe.  The  stern  of  the  bunch  will  usually  turn  brown 
and  become  somewhat  shriveled  when  the  fruit  is  fully 
matured. 


182  THE   GRAPE    CULTUEIST. 

Always  gather  the  grapes  in  fair  weather,  and  wait  until 
the  dew  has  dried  off  before  commencing  in  the  morning. 
Cut  off  the  clusters  with  a  knife  or  shears,  and  handle  them 
with  care,  so  that  the  bloom  shall  not  be  rubbed  off  nor 
any  of  the  berries  broken. 

If  any  portion  of  the  crop  is  not  ripe,  leave  it  on  the 
vines  and  gather  it  separately,  after  the  best  has  been  se- 
cured, provided  it  is  worth  the  trouble.  If  there  be  any 
unripe  or  diseased  berries  in  the  bunch  they  should  be 
taken  out  at  the  time  of  gathering. 

PRESERVING  THE  FRUIT. 

To  many  persons  the  preservation  of  fruit  in  its  natural 
condition  is  second  only  in  importance  to  that  of  producing 
it.  If  we  can,  by  any  simple  means,  keep  our  grapes  fresh 
two  or  three  months,  it  not  only  prolongs  the  period  of 
enjoyment  of  a  luxury,  but  if  it  be  desired  to  sell  the  fruit, 
the  price  will  be  found  to  increase  as  the  season  advances, 
beyond  the  usual  marketing  period,  the  earliest  and  latest 
in  market  always  commanding  the  highest  prices,  although 
not  always  the  most  ready  sale. 

There  is  no  reason  why  the  tables  of  those  who  desire 
grapes  should  not  be  supplied  with  them  for  four  or  five 
months  in  the  year.  Every  variety  of  grapes  will  not  keep 
well,  any  more  than  every  sort  of  apples  or  pears ;  still,  a 
majority  of  the  grapes  now  grown  will  keep  several  months 
with  ordinary  care. 

The  process  of  preserving  is  very  simple,  and  requires 
more  common  sense  than  science.  The  requisites  are :  1st. 
The  fruit  should  be  thoroughly  ripe,  should  not  be  bruised 
or  broken,  but  carefully  handled  while  gathering  and  pack- 
ing. The  fruit  may  be  put  away  on  shelves,  or  packed  in 
small  boxes ;  the  latter  method  is  probably  the  best,  as  it 
is  more  liable  to  become  shriveled  when  left  in  an  open 
room  than  when  confined  in  a  smaller  space.  Boxes  that 


MISCELLANEOUS.  183 

will  hold  from  twenty  to  thirty  pounds  are  of  convenient 
size,  and  the  fruit  will  retain  its  flavor  much  better  with 
twenty  pounds  in  a  box  than  when  there  are  only  five  pounds. 
The  boxes  should  be  made  so  that  they  can  be  shut  tight ; 
if  there  should  be  need  of  ventilation,  it  can  be  given  by 
opening  the  box,  but  constant  ventilation  of  them  is  only 
another  name  for  continual  evaporation,  which  would  cause 
the  fruit  to  shrivel  and  thus  destroy  its  value. 

A  cool  and  steady  temperature  should  be  maintained, 
and  if  it  could  be  kept  between  35°  and  40°  there  would 
be  but  very  little  trouble  in  keeping  the  fruit,  even  if  but 
little  care  were  given  to  the  packing.  Very  few  persons 
have  a  room  or  cellar  that  can  be  kept  so  cool  as  40°  ;  con- 
sequently more  care  is  necessary  in  gathering,  packing,  etc. 

A  warm,  damp  atmosphere  is  very  injurious,  as  it  will 
soon  cause  the  grapes  to  rot ;  but  the  presence  of  consid- 
erable moisture  will  do  no  harm,  provided  the  temperature 
is  low. 

There  are  various  materials  used  in  packing  grapes,  many 
of  which  are  good,  while  others  are  positively  injurious. 
Saw-dust  is  used  in  packing  the  Malaga  grapes  which  are 
so  common  in  our  markets  ;  but  the  flavor  of  the  grapes  is 
always  injured  more  or  less  by  it,  giving  them  a  strong 
woody  taste.  Cork-dust  is  far  better  than  common  saw- 
dust ;  but  it  can  not  be  obtained  except  near  cork  manu- 
factories, and  perhaps  not  then  to  any  amount.  If  any  such 
material  is  to  be  used,  there  is  none  better  or  more  easily 
procured  than  chaiF  of  rye,  wheat,  or  oats  Rice  chaff 
would  probably  be  still  better. 

When  the  grapes  are  gathered,  bring  them  into  a  cool 
room  and  spread  them  out  upon  a  table  or  shelves,  and  let 
them  remain  there  for  a  few  days  until  ah1  surplus  moisture 
has  passed  off;  then  pack  them  away  in  the  boxes,  as  fol- 
lows :  spread  a  thick  sheet  of  paper  on  the  bottom,  then 
lay  on  a  layer  of  bunches,  placing  them  close  together ; 
then  another  sheet  of  paper,  and  so  on  until  the  box  is  full. 


184  THE   GRAPE   CULTUKIST. 

Boxes  deep  enough  to  hold  four  or  five  layers  are  better 
than  deeper  ones.  When  the  boxes  are  filled,  put  them 
away  in  a  cool  place,  and  where  they  can  be  examined 
occasionally,  and  the  decayed  berries  be  taken  out  from 
time  to  time  as  they  appear.  If  the  place  is  cool  and  the 
fruit  sound  and  ripe,  they  will  keep  three  or  four  months 
without  further  care. 

WINE  MAKING. 

The  making  of  wine  is  supposed  by  many  to  be  neces- 
sarily connected  with  grape  culture.  So  general  has  been 
this  belief  that  nearly  every  book  upon  this  subject  has  its 
chapter  upon  wine  making,  whether  the  author  knew  any- 
thing about  the  subject  or  not.  For  my  own  part,  I  could 
never  understand  why  wine  making  had  anything  more  to 
do  with  grape  culture  than  whisky  or  starch  making  had 
to  do  with  corn  growing,  or  cider  making  and  the  produc- 
tion of  apple  jack  should  necessarily  be  recognized  as  a  part 
of  pomology.  Two  hundred  years  ago,  when  John  Evelyn 
wrote  his  "  Pomona,"  it  would  not  have  been  thought  com- 
plete without  those  wonderful  chapters  on  "  The  Making 
and  Ordering  of  Cyder !"  The  man  who  writes  a  book  on 
apple  and  pear  culture,  at  the  present  time,  would  hardly 
think  it  in  his  line  to  teh1  how  to  make  perry  and  cider, 
nor  would  it  be  expected  of  him.  I  shall  therefore  depart 
from  the  general  rule,  and  for  two  reasons  :  1st.  I  believe 
that  wine  and  brandy  making  do  not  necessarily  belong 
to  grape  culture.  2d.  I  should  not  be  able  to  give  any 
information  from  actual  experience ;  and  I  believe  the 
reader  will  agree  with  me  that  in  horticulture,  at  least, 
none  have  a  right  to  become  teachers  until  they  have  them- 
selves been  scholars. 

There  are  plenty  of  men  in  our  country  who  know  how 
to  make  wine,  and  from  them  we  should  get  correct  infor- 
mation upon  the  subject,  provided  they  can  be  persuaded 


MISCELLANEOUS.  185 

to  give  it,  and  none  others  should  be  heeded.  It  is  not 
every  one  who  attempts  to  make  wine  that  accomplishes  it ; 
for  every  vineyardist  does  not  know  how  to  make  wine 
any  more  than  every  wine  maker  knows  how  to  grow 
grapes. 

Let  us  first  supply  the  country  with  good  table  grapes ; 
then,  if  there  should  be  a  surplus,  we  can  call  on  the  wine, 
vinegar,  and  brandy  maker  for  information  and  assistance 
in  disposing  of  it  to  advantage. 

PRUNING  SHEARS. 

Those  who  have  a  large  number  of  vines  to  prune  know 
the  importance  of  having  a  good  implement  with  which  to 
do  it.  With  a  first-rate  pair  of  shears  a  man  can  prune 
many  more  vines  in  a  day  than  he  can  with  a  knife ;  besides, 
there  is  less  danger  of  breaking  off  those  buds  which  it  is 
desirable  to  retain.  In  pruning  fruit  trees  the  priming- 
knife  is  preferable,  because  we  usually  wish  to  make  a 
smooth  cut,  so  that  the  wound  will  heal  over ;  not  so  with 
the  vine,  as  the  cut  is  generally  made  between  the  buds, 
and  the  wound  is  not  expected  to  heal ;  the  stump  above 
the  bud  dies  back  to  it,  and  if  this  is  cut  away  it  is  only 
for  looks — nothing  more.  Therefore  in  pruning  vines  it  is 
not  requisite  to  leave  a  very  smooth  surface  to  the  wounds, 
though  to  have  an  instrument  that  will  cut  smooth  and 
easy  is  very  desirable. 

There  are  any  number  of  styles  of  pruning  shears — Ger- 
man, French,  English,  and  American.  Some  are  good,  but 
more  that  are  good  for  nothing.  The  best  shears  that  I 
have  ever  used  (and  they  are  not  a  few)  are  those  made  in 
this  country.  I  am  not  aware  that  they  have  any  particu- 
lar name,  but  "  J.  Wiss,  Newark,  N.  J.,"  is  stamped  on 
the  blade,  and  I  presume  that  to  be  the  name  of  the  manu- 
facturer. Fig.  66  shows  the  shape  of  these  shears.  The 
springs  are  of  brass  or  of  some  similar  composition  which 


ISO  THE  GRAPE  GULTURIBT. 

seems  not  to  be  affected  by  cold,  as  I  have  frequently  user! 
them  when  the  thermometer  was  at  zero.  Hteel  springs  1 
have  found  were  very  liable  to  break  in  frosty  weather. 


rig. 

There  is  a  catch  at  the  ends  of  the  handles  to  fasten  them 
together,  so  that  they  rruiy  be  carried  safely  in  the  pocket. 
In  the  engraving  the  catch  is  shown  as  open,  but  it  may  be 
turned  in  against  the  spring,  so  as  to  be  out  of  the  way 
when  the  shears  are  in  use.  There  are  several  sizes  of 
these  shears,  and  the  price  formerly  was  from  $1  00  to 
$1  60  ;  at  present  they  are  a  trifle  higher.  I  presume  they 
can  be  had  at  most  of  the  seed  stores  in  New  York. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


THJCSS  are  few  '/four  cultivated  fruit*  that  are  Je**  liable 
tobei0fe«t«dbyiniN^»tbai»thegra)/e;  it  ha*  ltd  mfljfof, 
however,  which,  if  allowed  to  increa*e,  would  *oon  become 
quite  formidable,  In  *ome  part*  of  the  wintry  in*eet 
ravage*  have  been  *o  great  that  it  ha*  materially  checked 
the  cultivation  of  the  vine, 

Hie  rapid  increa*e  of  i  n*ect*  i*,  without  doubt,  owing  in 
a  great  meanure  to  the  destruction  of  those  bird*  that  lire 
moftly  upon  them*  If  we  destroy  or  drive  away  the  fiatt^- 
ral  enemies  of  the  in*eet«,  then  we  mu*t  take  UJX/TI  our- 
*elre*  tbe  oflj/^  of  de*troyer,  and  work  with  j^r*everane» 
and  vigilance,  or  *ee  all  our  enVt*  to  produce  fruit  in 
abttndaoee  of  no  avail.  That  noxiou*  in*eet,*  are  raf/idly 
ioereaniog  throughout  t>ie  rx/untry  muni  be  apparent  to 
every  one  who  ha*  given  the  ftut/jeet  attentiofi* 
that  ten  year*  »in/;e  were  unknown  in  the  We*tern 
are  now  found  there  in  ai/undanix;,  having  l>eeri  intro- 
duced, not  only  from  the  Kantern  Htate*,  but  imported 
from  Eoropean  eouAtrie*  with  *ee^l«,  fruit*,  etc* 

It  inattU^*  but  little  where  these  ho*t*  of  inject*  corn^ 
from,  tbe  la^t  that  tliey  exint,  with  few  idlem  «m//ng  them, 
li  enon^i  to  *et  every  one  of  w  to  work  to  eheek  tlieir 
pro^re**  in  every  way  po**ibJe,  To  proeeed  on  our  work 
of  de*tmetkm  under*tan/lingly,  we  *h//uld  fir»t  know  otir 
enemie*,  for  *ome  in*ect«  Uiat  are  found  on  the  grape  ri»e 
do  not  injure  it,  but  a**i*t  u*  in  /leHroying  tbo*e  that  are 
injurious,  therefore  an  i/idixOTntmate  *laughterf  in  ma^y 
ea«e*,  would  be  very  injudiciou*.  There  are  many  no*- 
tntm*  offered  at  the  pre*em  time  which  are  *aid  t//  he  in- 
•e<t  retnedie*,  and  do*M*9*  *4tw  of  tWat  are  really  what 


188  THE    GKAPE    CULTURIST. 

they  purport  to  be,  as  some  are  easily  destroyed  by  very 
simple  means,  but  there  is  no  universal  remedy  the  appli- 
cation of  which  is  at  all  practicable.  A  material  that  would 
act  as  a  poison  upon  one  might  serve  as  a  food  for  another, 
while  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  find  anything  so  pow- 
erful that  it  would  kill  all  kinds  of  insects,  and  at  the  same 
time  not  injure  the  plants  upon  which  they  were  found. 

The  following  list  is  not  supposed  to  contain  all,  or  any 
considerable  portion  of  the  insects  that  are  injurious  to  the 
grape,  but  only  those  that  are  best  known. 

There  are  often  several  species  nearly  related  to  each 
other,  and  from  a  description  of  one  of  the  number 
the  others  may  be  readily  recognized.  Every  vine- 
yardist  should  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  vari- 
ous insects  that  infest  the  vine,  and  thereby  be  enabled  to 
more  successfully  check  their  ravages. 

There  are  several  excellent  works  on  entomology  that 
are  within  the  reach  of  those  who  desire  information  on 
this  subject ;  the  best  among  them  is  Harris'  "  Insects  In- 
jurious to  Vegetation,"  a  new  edition  of  which  has  lately 
been  issued  by  Crosby  &  Nichols,  Boston — edited  by 
Charles  L.  Flint.  To  this  work  I  am  mainly  indebted  for 
many  of  the  illustrations  and  descriptions  I  have  given. 

ROSE  CHAFER,  or  ROSE  RuG.—Melolontha  subspinosa, 

— Fig.  67 — of  Fabricus,  by  whom  it  was  first 
described;  it  belongs  to  the  modern  genus 
Macrodactylus  of  Latreille. 

This  beetle  measures  seven  twentieths  of  an 
Fig.  6T.  inch  in  length.  Its  body  is  slender,  tapers  before 
and  behind,  and  is  entirely  covered  with  very  short  and  close 
ashen-yellow  down ;  the  thorax  is  long  and  narrow,  angularly 
widened  in  the  middle  of  each  side,  which  suggested  the  name 
subspinosa,  or  somewhat  spined  ;  the  legs  are  slender,  and 
of  a  pale  red  color;  the  joints  of  the  feet  are  tipped  with 


INSECTS.  189 

black,  and  very  long.  This  is  one  of  the  most  common 
and  destructive  insects  known  to  infest  the  grape  in  this 
country.  In  some  parts  of  the  Eastern  States  it  makes  its 
appearance  in  such  vast  numbers  that  it  is  impossible  to 
stay  its  ravages.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  at  all  fastidious 
in  regard  to  its  food,  as  it  feeds  indiscriminately  upon 
nearly  all  kinds  of  plants.  If  it  has  a  choice  it  is  not  a  very 
particular  one,  as  I  have  found  it  feeding  upon  the  flowers 
of  the  cherry,  grape,  ox-eye,  daisy,  sumac,  rose,  and  upon 
all  the  different  species  and  varieties  of  the  spiraBa ;  and 
when  the  flowers  of  these  are  gone  it  will  attack  the  leaves. 
I  had  one  season  about  a  hundred  cherry  trees  entirely 
'stripped  of  their  leaves  by  this  voracious  little  pest.  It 
prefers,  however,  the  flowers  of  plants  to  their  leaves,  and 
it  usually  makes  its  appearance  in  the  spring,  about  the 
time  the  grape  comes  into  bloom.  It  eats  the  flower  with 
avidity,  and  when  it  appears  in  large  numbers  they  make 
short  work  of  the  entire  crop. 

There  are  a  number  of  remedies  recommended  for  the 
Rose  Chafer,  but  I  know  of  none  better  or  more  effectual 
than  that  of  catching  them  by  hand  and  killing  them. 
They  can  be  caught  very  rapidly  by  taking  a  large  cup  or 
basin,  with  a  little  water  in  it,  and  holding  it  under  the  in- 
sect ;  giving  the  cluster  of  flowers  a  slight  jar,  the  bugs  will 
immediately  let  go  their  hold  and  fall  into  the  dish.  When 
a  quantity  have  been  caught,  throw  them  into  the  fire  or 
pour  hot  water  upon  them.  I  have  followed  this  simple 
plan  for  several  years,  and  though  I  have  not  been  able  to 
annihilate  them,  their  numbers  have  not  increased. 

If  a  whole  neighborhood  would  band  together,  each  de- 
stroying all  to  be  found  upon  his  own  place,  there  would 
be  a  prospect  of  soon  exterminating  this  most  destructive 
enemy  of  the  grape.  There  is  no  other  way  of  destroying 
them  than  to  attack  the  insect  itself,  because  the  female 
deposits  its  eggs  in  the  ground  where  they  can  not  be 
reached  by  any  ordinary  means. 


190 


THE    GRAPE    CTJLTFRIST. 


GRAPE  VINE  FLEA  BEETLE.— Haltica  chalylea, 

— of  Illiger,  Fig.  68,  is  a  somewhat  mag- 
nified  representation  of  a  beetle  which  is 
found  in  almost  all  parts  of  the  United  States, 
on  wild  and  cultivated  grape  vines.  Although 
this  beetle  has  received  the  specific  name  of 
chalybei,  meaning  steel-blue,  it  is  exceedingly 
rig.  68.  variable  in  color.  "  The  most  common  tint  of 
the  upper  side  is  a  glossy,  deep,  greenish-blue,  the  under 
side  is  dark-green,  and  the  antennae  and  feet  are  dull 
black.  The  body  is  oblong  oval,  and  the  hinder  part  of 
the  thorax  is  marked  with  a  transverse  furrow.  It  meas- 
ures rather  more  than  three  twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length." 
Two  broods  usually  appear  in  a  season — the  first  in 
April  or  May,  according  to  location,  and  the  second  in 
July  and  August.  I  have  not  heard  of  any  section  where 
they  have  been  very  destructive,  but  they  will  probably 
become  so  unless  some  precaution  is  taken  against  their 
farther  advance.  Hand  picking  is  the  surest  mode  of  de- 
stroying them.  It  is  said,  however,  that  if  a  strong  solu- 
tion of  potash  is  thrown  ov#r  the  vines  it  will  destroy 
them.  I  have  never  been  troubled  with  them  to  such  an 
extent  but  that  they  could  be  easily  gathered  by  hand,  or 
shaken  from  the  vines  and  crushed  by  the  foot. 

SPOTTED   PELIDNOTA.— Pelidnota  punctata. 

Fig.  69.  This  beetle  is  found  upon 
the  grape  vine  in  the  months  of  July 
and  August.  "  It  is  of  an  oblong  oval 
shape,  and  about  an  inch  long.  The 
wing-covers  are  tile-colored,  or  dull, 
brownish  yellow,  with  three  distinct 
black  dots  on  each;  the  thorax  is 
darker  and  slightly  bronzed,  with  a 
black  dot  on  each  side ;  the  body  beneath 


Fig.  69. 


INSECTS. 


191 


and  the  legs  are  of  a  deep,  bronzed,  green  color ;"  Mr. 
Harris  also  adds,  "that  their  only  food  is  the  leaves  of  the 
grape."  The  Pelidnota  is  of  such  a  large  size,  that  should 
its  numbers  ever  become  great,  it  would  be  very  destruc- 
tive. I  have  never  found  more  than  half  a  dozen  upon  any 
one  vine,  and  these  were  easily  picked  off  and  killed. 

TREE   BEETLE. — Areoda   lanigera. 

This  beetle  is  found  mostly  upon 
trees,  such  as  the  pear,  oak,  hickory, 
etc. ;  but  having  in  several  instances 
found  it  feeding  upon  the  leaves  of  the 
grape  vine,  I  have  inserted  an  illustra- 
tion (Fig.  70)  and  a  description,  so  that 
the  attention  of  the  vineyardist  might 
be  called  to  it  in  case  its  numbers 
should  become  so  great  as  to  render  Fig.  TO. 

its  destruction  necessary. 

It  is  about  nine  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length,  broad  oval 
in  shape,  of  a  lemon  color  above,  glittering  like  burnished 
gold  on  the  top  of  the  head  and  thorax ;  the  under  side  of 
the  body  is  copper  colored,  and  thickly  covered  with 
whitish  wool ;  and  the  legs  are  brownish  yellow  or  brassy, 
shaded  with  green.  They  appear  in  this  vicinity  in  June. 
Harris  states  that  the  larva  of  this  insect  is  not  known. 

CATERPILLARS. 

Caterpillars  are  the  larvae  of  butterflies  or  moths.  These 
insects  have  four  stages  of  existence  :  the  egg,  caterpillar, 
pupa  or  chrysalis,  arid  the  perfect  insect.  Of  these  it  is  the 
caterpillar  alone  which  is  troublesome  ;  they  feed  upon  the 
leaves  of  plants  and  are  often  very  destructive,  especially 
in  city  gardens.  In  certain  groups  the  caterpillar  becomes, 
in  its  winged  state,  a  butterfly,  and  in  others  a  moth.  The 
former  fly  by  day  and  the  latter  by  night,  or  toward  even- 
ing only.  They  are  also  distinguished  by  peculiarities  of 


192  THE    GEAPE   CULTUKIST. 

structure  not  necessary  to  mention  here.  The  numerous 
species  are  recognized  by  the  entomologist  by  peculiarities 
of  form,  color,  structure  of  legs  and  antennae,  and  numer- 
ous other  characters  which  enable  him  to  classify  them 
into  genera  and  families. 

YELLOW  BEAR. 

The  caterpillar  called  by  Harris  the  Yellow  Bear  (Fig. 
71)  is  a  very  destructive  individual,  which  does  not  con- 
fine itself  to  the  grape  vine,  but  feeds  upon  almost  every 


Fig.  71. 

kind  of  plant  to  be  found  in  the  garden.  This  kind  of 
caterpillar  varies  very  much  in  color ;  it  is  perhaps  most 
often  of  a  pale  yellow,  or  straw  color,  with  a  black  line 
along  each  side  of  the  body,  and  a  transverse  line  of  the 
same  color  between  each  of  the  segments  or  rings,  and  is 
covered  with  long,  pale,  yellow  hairs. 

Others  are  often  seen  of  a  rusty  or  brownish  yellow 
color,  with  the  same  black  lines  on  the  sides  and  between 
the  rings,  and  they  are  clothed  with  foxy  red  or  light 
brown  hairs.  The  head  and  ends  of  the  feet  are  ochre 
yellow,  and  the  under  side  of  the  body  is  blackish  in  all  the 
varieties. 

They  make  their  appearance  about  the  first  of  June,  and 
continue  during  almost  the  entire  summer.  When  full 

grown  they  spin  their 
cocoons  and  remain  in 
the  chrysalis  state  until 
spring,  at  which  time 
the  moth  appears. 

THE  MOTH  (Fig.  72) 
Fig.  72.  is  known  as  the  White 


INSECTS.  193 

Miller — its  scientific  name  is  Arctia  Virginica.  "  It  is 
white,  with  a  black  point  on  the  middle  of  the  fore  wings, 
and  two  black  dots  on  the  hind  wings,  one  on  the  middle 
and  the  other  near  the  posterior  angle,  much  more  distinct 
on  the  under  than  on  the  upper  side ;  there  is  a  row  of 
black  dots  on  the  top  of  the  back,  another  on  each  side,  and 
between  these  a  longitudinal  'deep  yellow  stripe  ;  the  hips 
and  thighs  of  the  fore  legs  are  also  ochre  yellow.  It  ex- 
pands from  one  inch  and  a  half  to  two  inches.  Its  eggs 
are  of  a  golden  yellow  color,  and  are  laid  in  patches  upon 
the  leaves  of  plants. 


HOG  CATERPILLAR.  —  Chcerocampa  Pampinatrix. 

Fig.  73  shows  this  cater- 
pillar covered  with  cocoons 
of  a  parasitic  insect  that  lays 
its  eggs  upon  it.  When  these 
eggs  hatch,  the  larvae  from  Fig.  73. 

them  feed  upon  the  caterpillar  and  usually  kill  it. 

Fig.  74  shows  the  parasite's  natural  size,  also  one  that  is 
highly  magnified.  The  caterpillar  is  usually  most  abund- 
ant about  midsummer,  and  when  fully 
grown  it  descends  to  the  gronnd,  con- 
ceals  itself  under  fallen  leaves,  which  it 
draws  together  by  a  few  threads,  so  as 
to  form  a  kind  of  cocoon,  or  covers  itself 
with  grains  of  earth  and  rubbish  in  the  Fig.  74. 

same  way,  and  under  this  imperfect  cover  it  changes  to  a 
pupa  or  chrysalis  (Fig.  75),  and  finally  appears  in  the 
winged  state  in  the  month  of  July 
of  the  following  year.  The  moth 
expands  from  two  and  a  half  to 
three  inches,  is  of  an  olive  gray  Fis-  'r5- 

color,  except  the  hind  wings,  which  are  rust-colored,  and 
the  fore  wings  and  shoulder  covers  are  transverse,  with 

0 


194 


THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 


olive-green  bands.  It  is  said  that  the  name  Pampinatrfa 
was  given  to  the  moth  because  it  lived  upon  the  young 
shoots  of  the  vine ;  I  think  this  must  be  a  mistake.  Sir 
James  Edward  Smith,  who,  Mr.  Harris  says,  named  this 
species,  probably  referred  to  the  caterpillar,  and  intended 
the  name  to  be  applied  to  the  genus  instead  of  the  species, 
as  there  are  quite  a  number  of  these  caterpillars  which 
feed  almost  exclusively  upon  the  vine.  The  word  Pam- 
pinatrix  was  probably  taken  from  pampinatio,  the  Latin 
for  pulling  off  a  tender  vine  shoot.  The  Romans  used  the 
term  pampinating  for  what  we  call  summer  pruning,  or 
pinching  off  the  ends  of  the  young  shoots.  See  Columella 
and  other  ancient  works  on  agriculture. 

GRAPE  VINE  SPHINX. 

Among  the  sphinges  we  have  some  of  the  most  voracious 
of  all  the  caterpillars.  They  are  literally  gluttons,  as 
they  never  seem  to  stop  eating  from  the  time  they  are 
hatched  until  they  pass  into  the  chrysalis  state.  They  are 
very  destructive  in  a  nursery  of  young  vines,  as  a  single 
caterpillar  when  nearly  grown  will,  in  twenty-four  hours, 
eat  every  leaf  on  a  one-stem  vine  of  three  or  four  feet  high. 
The  name  Philampelus  (lover  of  the  vine)  is  very  appro- 
priate. The  only  way  to  get  rid  of  these  disgusting  crea- 
tures is  to  pick  or  cut  them  off  the  vine,  and  destroy  them 
by  crushing  or  otherwise. 


Fig.  7«. 


Those  species  that  are  mostly  of  a  green  color  are  not  so 
readily  found  among  the   green   leaves  as  others.     The 


INSECTS. 


195 


larva  of  the  Philampelus  Achemon  (Fig.  76)  is  one  of  the 
most  common  in  this  section  of  the  country.  There  is 
another  species  which  is  much  smaller,  and  of  a  brown 


Fig.  77. 


color,  with  pale  yellow  spots  on  its  sides.     Ihis  is  quite 
common  in  cities,  more  so  than  in  the  country. 

Another  species  of  Philampelus  which  is  quite  small, 


196 


THE   GRAPE   CIJLTUEIST. 


often  infests  old  vines  in  great  numbers.  It  not  only  de- 
vours the  leaves,  but  seems  to  delight  in  cutting  off 
the  grapes  from  the  bunches  and  letting  them  fall.  The 
ground  under  the  vines  will  often  be  covered  with  green 
grapes  which  have  been  cut  loose  by  these  little  cater- 
pillars. 

The  moths  of  some  of  the  Philampeli  are  very  beautiful, 
and  on  this  account  they  are  seldom  destroyed ;  the  largest 

expand  their  wings  some 
four  or  five  inches.  Fig. 
77  shows  one  of  these 
moths,  and  Fig.  78  the 
pupa  of  the  same.  They 

are  rather  slow  on  the  wing,  their  large  bodies  seem  to  be 
loo  heavy  even  for  their  large  wings.  They  usually  make 
their  appearance  in  June.  About 
the  same  time  the  moth  of  the  At- 
tacus  Cecropia  makes  its  appearance. 
It  is  very  large,  and  the  markings 
upon  its  wings  are  exceedingly  deli- 
cate and  beautiful.  The  caterpillar  of 
which  this  moth  is  the  parent  is  one 
of  the  largest  of  the  garden.  It  often 
measures  four  inches  in  length,  is  of 
a  pale  green  color,  and  is  covered  with 
large  warts — those  on  the  back  near 
the  head  are  red,  the  others  are  yel- 
low, except  one  row,  the  whole  length 
of  the  body  on  each  side,  which  is 
blue.  It  does  not  feed  on  the  vine 
in  preference  to  other  plants,  but  if 
it  meets  a  young  vine  it  is  very 
likely  to  strip  it  before  it  passes  on. 
When  it  obtains  its  full  growth  it 
retires  to  some  shrub  and  there  en- 
velops  itself  in  its  cocoon.  Fig.  79 


INSECTS.  197 

shows  one  of  these  fastened  to  a  small  branch.  When  the 
shrubs  have  lost  their  leaves  the  cocoons  are  readily  found, 
and  they  should  be  carefully  gathered  and  destroyed. 

THE  BLUE   CATERPILLAR. 

This  caterpillar  is  quite  common  in  almost  all  parts  of 
the  country ;  it  is  more  than  common  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  York — it  is  abundant.  It  is  described  by  Harris  as  a 
small  blue  caterpillar,  transversely  banded  with  deep 
orange  across  the  middle  of  each  ring,  the  bands  being  dot- 
ted with  black,  with  head  and  feet  also  orange ;  the  top 
of  the  eleventh  ring  somewhat  bulging,  and  the  fore  part 
of  the  body  hunched  up  when  the  creature  is  at  rest. 
These  caterpillars  begin  to  appear 
about  the  middle  of  July,  and 
others  are  hatched  afterwards,  as 
late,  perhaps,  as  the  middle  of  Au- 
gust. They  eat  all  parts  of  the  leaves,  even  to  the  midrib 
and  stalks.  When  not  eating  they  generally  rest  upon  the 
under  sides  of  the  leaves.  Fig.  80  shows  the  caterpillar 
as  it  appears  when  at  rest.  When  fully  grown  it  descends 
to  the  ground  and  buries  itself  three  or  four  inches  deep, 
and  turns  to  a  pupa  without  making  a  cocoon.  In  this 
vicinity  the  moths  begin 
to  come  out  of  the 
ground  about  the  first 
of  June.  Fig.  81  shows 
one  of  these  moths ;  its 
name  is  Eudryas  grata. 
Its  fore  wings  are  white 
above,  Avith  delicate 

i  •  AT  ,.  Fig.  81. 

marking  01  brown,  olive 

green,  and  violet.  The  hind  wings  are  yellow  above  ana 
beneath,  with  a  broad  brown  border  behind.  The  upper 
side  of  the  abdomen  is  yellow,  with  a  row  of  black  spots 


198  THE   GKAPE   CULTUKIST. 

on  the  top,  with  another  on  each  side.     This  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  moths  that  appear  in  our  gardens. 

To  destroy  the  caterpillars,  hand  picking  is  perhaps  the 
only  effectual  way.  This  would  appear  to  be  an  endless 
task,  particularly  when  they  come  in  such  numbers  as  are 
sometimes  found  in  cities.  I  would  suggest  dusting  the 
vines  with  lime  or  wood  ashes,  or  syringing  them  with  a 
strong  solution  of  potash  and  tobacco.  Some  such  article 
might  prove  so  offensive  to  the  creatures  that  it  would 
drive  them  away,  if  it  did  not  kill  them. 

PROCRIS  AMERICANA. 

Fig.  82.     "  This  is  a  small  moth  of  a 

tfrateJ32rg2S|g§^fe    blue-black  color,  with  a  saffron-colored 

WI^^P      collar  and  a  notched  tuft  on  the  ex- 

jHl  tremity   of  the  body.      The   wings, 

Fi    82  which  are  very  narrow,  expand  nearly 

one  inch. 

"  The  caterpillars  are  gregarious ;  that  is,  considerable 
numbers  of  them  live  and  feed  together,  collected  side  by 
side  on  the  same  leaf,  and  only  dispersed  when  they  are 
about  to  make  their  cocoons.  They  are  of  a  yellow  color, 
with  a  transverse  row  of  black,  velvety  tufts  on  each  ring, 
and  a  few  conspicuous  hairs  on  each  extremity  of  the  body. 
They  are  hatched  from  eggs  which  are  laid  in  clusters  of 
twenty  or  more  together,  on  the  lower  sides  of  the  leaves 
of  the  grape  vine  and  creeper ;  and  they  come  to  their 
growth  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  August.  They  then 
measure  six  tenths,  or  rather  more  than  one  half  of  an  inch 
in  length.  Their  feet  are  sixteen  in  number  and  rather 
short,  and  their  motions  are  sluggish.  When  touched, 
they  curl  their  bodies  sidewise  and  fall  to  the  ground  ;  or, 
more  rarely,  hang  suspended  from  the  leaves  by  a  silken 
thread.  When  young,  they  eat  only  portions  of  the  sur- 
face of  the  leaf;  but  as  they  grow  older  they  devour  all 


INSECTS. 


199 


but  the  stalk  and  principal  veins,  and  passing  from  leaf  to 
leaf  thus  strip  whole  branches  of  their  foliage." 

Fig.  83  shows  a  leaf  as  it  appears  with  the  caterpillars 
at  work.  The  smaller  ones  have  eaten  out  only  the  green 
portions  of  the  leaf,  leaving  all  the  fine  branching  veins, 
while  the  larger  ones  have  eaten  all  except  the  coarse, 


Fig.  88.— Larvae  of  the  Procria  Americana  feeding  on  the  leaf. 


200  THE    GRAPE   CDLTUEIST. 

woody  portions.  They  always  appear  as  if  marshaled  in  a 
straight  line,  and  move  backward  as  they  feed ;  and,  like 
well-drilled  soldiers,  retire  in  good  order. 

They  are  not  numerous  in  this  vicinity — I  have  had  but 
one  vine  attacked  by  them  for  the  past  two  or  three  years ; 
and  though  they  could  have  been  easily  destroyed,  I  pre- 
ferred to  allow  a  few  to  remain  each  year,  as  I  enjoyed 
watching  these  industrious  little  creatures. 

Mr.  Harris  states  that  only  one  annual  brood  appears  in 
Massachusetts.  Two  broods  appeared  here  (in  Brooklyn) 
last  season.  Prof.  Town  end  Glover,  Entomologist  to  the 
Agricultural  Bureau  at  Washington,  stated  to  me  in  a  let- 
ter last  summer  (1863),  that  this  insect  was  quite  common 
in  that  vicinity,  and  had  been  very  destructive  to  the  grape 
in  some  parts  of  the  South. 

As  the  caterpillar  feeds  entirely  upon  the  .upper  surface 
of  the  leaves,  it  can  be  readily  destroyed  by  dusting  the 
leaves  with  lime  when  wet  with  dew,  or  the  leaves  may  be 
cut  oif  with  the  insects  upon  them  and  thrown  into  the  fire. 

The  canker  or  measuring  worm  is  said  to  infest  the  vine 
in  some  sections,  and  the  curculio  is  said  to  sting  the  fruit, 
but  I  have  not  met  with  either  of  these  on  the  grape,  and 
presume  they  have  not  infested  it  to  any  great  extent. 

LEAF  ROLLERS. 

The  leaf  rollers  are  a  class  of  insects  that  are  becoming 
very  numerous  in  almost  ah1  parts  of  the  country.  There 
are  several  species  found  in  our  gardens,  some  of  which  are 
very  destructive  to  the  grape,  as  they  commence  feeding 
upon  the  buds  so  soon  as  they  begin  to  swell  in  the  spring, 
often  being  found  within  the  half-expanded  bud,  eating  out 
its  entire  center.  They  continue  their  work  after  the 
leaves  expand,  drawing  the  leaves  together  with  their  silk- 
en thread,  forming  for  themselves  a  snug  retreat ;  and  liter- 
ally, as  some  creatures  of  a  higher  order  do  figuratively, 


INSECTS.  201 

eat  up  their  own  abode.  The  one  that  is  most  destructive 
to  the  grape  in  this  vicinity  is  a  small  green  caterpillar 
about  one  half  inch  long,  and  about  one  twentieth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter.  This  variety  is  also  found  in  abundance 
on  the  rose.  Mr.  Harris  named  it  the 
Loxotcenia  Rosaceana.  The  moth, 
Fig.  84,  is  described  by  him  as  fol- 
lows :  "  The  fore  wings  of  this  moth 
are  very  much  arched  on  their  outer 
edge,  and  curve  in  the  contrary  direc-  Fis-  84- 

tion  at  the  tip,  like  a  little  hook  or  short  tail." 

They  are  of  a  light  cinnamon-brown  color,  crossed  with 
little  wavy  darker  brown  lines,  and  with  three  broad 
oblique  dark-brown  bands,  whereof  one  covers  the  base  of 
the  wing,  and  is  oftentimes  indistinct  or  wanted ;  the  sec- 
ond crosees  the  middle  of  the  wing ;  and  the  third,  which 
is  broad  on  the  front  edge  and  narrow  behind,  is  near  the 
outer  hind  margin  of  the  wing.  The  hind  wings  are  ochre 
yellow,  with  the  folded  part  next  to  the  body  blackish.  It 
expands  an  inch  or  a  little  more. 

Whale-oil  soap,  diluted  in  water,  is  said  to  be  destructive 
to  these  insects.  It  may  kill  the  caterpillars  provided  it 
reaches  them ;  but  there  is  the  difficulty,  as  they  are  rolled 
up  within  the  leaf,  where  no  liquid  thrown  over  the  vine 
will  be  likely  to  reach  them.  Picking  them  off  and  crush- 
ing has  been  my  usual  method  of  destroying  them. 

THRIPS. 

These  are  very  minute  insects,  scarce  exceeding  one 
sixteenth  of  an  inch  in  length.  They  are  usually  of  a  pale 
greenish  yellow  color,  or  nearly  white.  They  attack  the 
under  side  of  the  leaves,  and  their  presence  is  soon  shown 
by  the  pale  green  or  yellow  spots  which  appear  upon  the 
upper  side.  The  thrip  seldom  attacks  the  vine  in  the  open 
air,  confining  itself  mainly  to  those  that  are  grown  under 

9* 


202  THE   GRAPE    CULTURI8T. 

glass,  or  against  a  wall  or  building.  Sometimes  thrips  will 
attack  the  fruit  when  it  is  nearly  ripe,  but  usually  they 
confine  themselves  to  the  leaves.  Syringing  the  vines  with 
a  strong  solution  of  tobacco  water  is  one  of  the  most  effect- 
ual modes  of  getting  rid  of  this  little  pest. 

APHIS. 

The  Aphis,  or  green  fly,  often  called  plant-louse,  is  an- 
other very  small  insect,  although  much  more  injurious  than 
the  thrip.  The  rapidity  with  which  they  multiply  is  truly 
astonishing,  as  in  a  few  hours  after  they  make  their  appear- 
ance upon  a  plant  it  will  often  become  entirely  covered 
with  them. 

They  usually  attack  only  the  ends  of  the  young  shoots 
and  more  tender  leaves,  feeding  upon  the  juices  of  the 
plant,  which  they  take  from  it  in  such  quantities  as  to 
cause  those  parts  which  they  infest  to  soon  wither  and 
die.  Moist,  warm  weather  seems  to  suit  them  better  than 
any  other.  They  frequently  attack  young  vines  in  the 
nursery,  and  often  entirely  destroy  the  terminal  shoot  as 
well  as  the  young  laterals,  thus  severely  checking  the 
growth  of  the  vine. 

Vines  grown  under  glass  are  more  subject  to  the  attacks 
of  the  aphis  than  others,  but  here  they  are  readily  destroyed. 
Fumigation  with  tobacco  smoke  is  the  most  effectual 
remedy.  The  process  is  as  follows :  first  syringe  the 
plants  until  every  leaf  is  wet,  or  at  least  damp ;  then  take  a 
wire  basket  or  small  furnace,  and  fill  it  with  live  coals  and 
carry  it  into  the  house ;  throw  some  tobacco  upon  the  coals 
and  fill  the  house  with  smoke ;  shut  up  the  house  and  let 
it  remain  for  twelve  hours,  after  which  ventilate  it  and  give 
the  plants  another  good  syringing  so  as  to  clean  off  the 
dead  insects  and  smoke.  Although  the  aphis  is  easily  de- 
stroyed when  infesting  plants  in  the  house,  when  they  at- 
tack plants  in  the  open  air  it  is  quite  another  thing. 


INSECTS.  203 

Fumigating  a  nursery  of  young  vines  is  out  of  the  question  ; 
arid  syringing  with  tobacco  water  or  any  other  material  is 
entirely  impracticable.  The  only  effectual  method  that  I 
have  found  is  to  go  over  the  young  vines  and  cut  off  the 
ends  of  the  laterals  that  are  infested  and  throw  them  into 
a  basket,  then  take  the  terminal  shoot  in  one  hand,  and 
with  a  good  stiff  brush  clean  off  the  aphis.  A  few  up- 
ward strokes  will  usually  kill  every  one,  without  materially 
injuring  the  young  shoot.  A  good  leather  glove  will  be 
needed  to  protect  the  hand  that  holds  the  shoot.  The 
generic  name  of  this  insect  is  Aphis  /  the  specific  name  is 
usually  taken  from  the  name  of  the  plant  upon  which  it  is 
found;  thus,  when  found  on  the  vine,  it  is  called  Aphis 
vites /  when  on  the  apple,  Aphis  mali,  from  malus,  the 
specific  botanical  name  of  the  apple. 

The  larvae  of  a  small  spotted  insect  called  the  Lady  Bird 
feeds  upon  the  aphis,  devouring  vast  numbers  of  them. 
The  lady  bird  is  the  gardener's  friend,  and  they  should  never 
be  killed  if  it  can  be  avoided.  These  little  beetles  are 
usually  red  or  orange  yellow,  with  small  black  spots ;  some 
kinds  have  only  three  spots,  others  have  as  many  as  nine. 
They  are  very  common,  and  many  has  been  the  crime  that 
has  been  laid  to  them  of  which  they  were  entirely  innocent. 

RED  SPIDER. 

The  Red  Spider,  Acarus  tellarius,  is  one  of  the  small- 
est insects  that  infest  the  vine.  It  is  so  very  minute  that 
it  appears  as  only  a  small  red  speck,  and  can  scarcely  be 
seen  by  the  naked  eye.  It  usually  confines  itself  to  the 
under  side  of  the  leaf  of  vines  in  the  house,  though  it  will 
sometimes  make  its  appearance  on  vines  in  small  gardens 
and  do  considerable  damage. 

They  spin  a  fine  web  over  the  under  surface  of  the  leaf 
as  a  kind  of  nest  or  protection ;  4iere  they  live  in  large 
numbers,  and  by  puncturing  the  leaves  for  food,  cause  it  tq 


204  THE   GRAPE   CULTUKIST. 

turn  to  a  sickly  yellow  color.  The  upper  surface  will  show 
small  light-colored  spots  soon  after  the  spider  commences 
its  attacks  on  the  under  side. 

A  continued  warm  and  moist  atmosphere  is  death  to  the 
red  spider;  but  while  we  were  destroying  him,  the  aphis 
would  be  enjoying  a  most  congenial  atmosphere,  conse- 
quently we  must  resort  to  other  means  than  mere  atmos- 
pheric changes  to  destroy  any  of  these  pests.  Sulphur  is 
the  best  remedy  with  which  I  am  acquainted,  and  the  one 
upon  which  gardeners  mainly  depend.  It  may  be  dusted 
over  the  plants,  or  be  scattered  on  the  soil  beneath  them. 

When  used  in  the  house,  the  usual  method  is  to  place  it 
on  the  return  flue  or  pipes,  being  careful  not  to  place  the 
sulphur  where  it  will  become  so  hot  as  to  take  fire,  for  in 
that  case  the  fumes  will  destroy  the  plants  as  well  as 
spiders.  There  is  but  little  danger  of  its  taking  fire  if 
placed  on  the  return  flue,  as  the  heat  will  usually  be  just 
sufficient  to  slowly  melt  the  sulphur,  and  cause  it  to  give 
off  its  fumes  slowly. 

Sometimes  the  sulphur  is  mixed  with  soft  soap  and  water, 
and  a  little  clay  added  to  make  the  composition  of  the  con- 
sistency of  thick  paint ;  this  is  then  applied  to  the  pipes 
and  flues,  when  the  sulphur  is  slowly  evaporated  and 
continues  giving  off  its  fumes  for  a  long  time.  The  con- 
stant fume  of  sulphur  is  not  needed  in  a  house  ;  besides,  it 
is  very  disagreeable. 

VINE  SCALE. 

The  Vine  Scale,  Coccus  vites,  is  occasionally  met,  but 
it  is  not  common.  To  the  unassisted  eye  it  appears  to  be 
nothing  more  than  a  small  scale  without  the  least  appear- 
ance of  life.  The  scale  is  the  shell  or  covering  of  a  very 
minute  insect  that  pierces  the  bark  of  the  young  shoots 
and  sucks  its  juices.  A  strong  solution  of  potash — say  one 
pound  dissolved  in  two  gallons  of  water,  will  quickly  de- 
stroy them. 


DISEASES.  205 

* 

It  is  well  to  wash  the  stems  of  all  vines  in  gardens  with 
potash  water  every  winter,  as  it  would  destroy  insects  that 
make  their  nests  in  the  crevices  of  the  bark.  That  portion 
of  the  solution  that  falls  upon  the  ground  is  not  wasted, 
because  it  furnishes  the  vine  with  potash,  which  is  one  of 
the  most  valuable  ingredients  of  all  manures. 

There  are  several  other  species  of  vine  scale  or  coccus 
which  may  be  occasionally  found.  The  Coccus  adonidum, 
or  Mealy  Bug,  sometimes  attacks  the  vine  when  grown  un- 
der glass,  but  it  generally  confines  itself  to  other  plants. 
Diluted  soft-soap,  or  potash  dissolved  in  water,  will  usually 
destroy  all  kinds  of  vine  scale. 

'  I  DISEASES. 

The  diseases  to  which  the  grape  is  subject  in  this  coun- 
try are  not  numerous  or  very  destructive,  except  in  some 
particular  localities,  and  these  are  confined  mainly  to  the 
fruit.  The  instances  .are  very  frequent  where  whole  vine- 
yards are  destroyed  by  allowing  them  to  over-bear ;  and 
without  doubt  more  vines  are  annually  destroyed  from  this 
cause  than  from  any  other.  But  this  should  not  be  called 
disease,  nor  the  effects  of  an  uncongenial  climate,  but  corn- 
pulsatory  suicide,  just  as  much  as  it  would  be  to  make  a 
prisoner  lift  at  a  dead  weight  until  he  broke  his  own  back. 
At  least  eight  tenths  of  all  the  failures  with  our  native 
grapes  have  been  from  this  cause,  and  probably  one  tenth 
fail  from  planting  unsuitable  varieties,  and  only  the  other 
tenth  from  actual  disease. 

The  case  is  now  becoming  quite  different,  as  in  the  rap- 
idly increasing  number  of  varieties  there  will,  without 
doubt,  be  many  which  are  naturally  diseased ;  and  when 
such  varieties  have  been  through  a  course  of  forced  propa- 
gation for  several  years,  it  would  not  be  strange  if  we 
should  have  some  that  would  baffle  the  skill  of  the  best 
cultivators. 


206  THE   GKAPE   CULTURIST. 

When  the  disease  is  inherent  in  the  variety,  the  great- 
est care  will  be  required  to  keep  the  plant  even  in 
partial  health.  Very  poor  soils  or  over-rich  ones  will 
materially  assist  in  developing  the  disease ;  and  once  over- 
loading the  vine  will  generally  make  a  finish  of  it.  There 
is  not  a  variety  which  is  sufficiently  productive  to  make  it 
worth  cultivating  that  will  not  set  more  fruit  than  it  can 
bring  to  maturity,  or  will  not  became  diseased  by  over- 
cropping. 

The  Concord  is  naturally  one  of  the  most  healthy  of  our 
native  varieties,  yet  I  have  seen  hundreds  of  them  so  over- 
loaded with  fruit  that  not  one  tenth  of  it  ripened.  That 
vines  treated  in  this  manner  should  remain  healthy  is  not 
to  be  expected.  Another  source  of  disease  lies  in  planting 
in  heavy  wet  soils,  where  the  roots  are  immersed  in  stag- 
nant moisture.  It  is  not  always  excess  of  moisture,  but 
the  condition  of  it.  Every  one  who  has  examined  vines 
in  deep  valleys,  and  by  the  side  of  streams,  have  seen  some 
growing  where  their  roots  were  immersed  in  water  during 
a  greater  part  of  the  year,  but  the  water  was  not  confined 
to  one  place.  It  flowed  past  the  roots  as  it  came  from 
springs  higher  up,  or  flowed  in  from  the  stream  perhaps  to 
return  again  in  a  few  hours. 

The  too  frequent  applications  of  washing-suds  from  the 
house  is  a  prolific  source  of  disease  in  the  vines  of  cities 
and  villages.  There  are,  however,  a  few  diseases  which 
are  quite  common  in  some  sections  of  the  country,  affecting 
certain  varieties,  the  origin  of  which  it  would  be  difficult 
to  trace,  from  the  fact  that  the  vines  had  at  some  time 
over-borne. 

Probably  the  most  destructive  disease  known  to  affect 
the  native  grape  is  the  black  rot.  This  is  the  great  scourge 
in  the  Western  States.  The  vineyards  at  Cincinnati  have 
been  injured  more  by  this  than  all  other  causes  put  to- 
gether. The  Catawba  and  its  seedlings  appear  to  be  more 
affected  than  other  varieties.  Still,  it  is  not  confined  to  this 


DISEASES.  207 

class,  as  the  Isabella  and  Concord  are  in  some  localities 
more  or  less  affected. 

Some  ten  years  since  I  spent  a  season  in  southern  Illinois, 
where  this  disease  is  often  very  destructive.  I  made  a 
number  of  experiments  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the 
eause  as  well  as  to  find  a  remedy  therefor,  but  my  limited 
time  did  not  afford  me  sufficient  opportunity  to  arrive  at 
any  satisfactory  conclusion ;  yet  I  was  fully  satisfied  that  a 
compact  wet  subsoil  Avas  one  of  the  causes,  and  my  obser- 
vation since  has  tended  to  confirm  that  opinion.  The  past 
season  this  disease  showed  itself  in  my  garden  in  Brooklyn 
for  the  first  time ;  the  location  is  very  high,  and  the  soil  is 
what  is  usually  called  a  stiff  loam,  intermingled  with  stone. 
Anna,  Diana,  Isabella,  and  Catawba  were  about  equally 
affected,  the  Concord  but  slightly.  On  my  place  in  the 
country,  the  soil  of  which  is  sandy,  there  were  no  signs  of 
this  disease. 

That  an  excess  of  moisture  has  much  to  do  with  this  dis- 
ease is  also  apparent,  from  the  fact  that  it  is  usually  more 
prevalent  in  wet  seasons,  or  after  we  have  had  a  long  rain. 
This  was  the  case  last  season,  as  about  the  time  the  berries 
were  half  grown  we  had  several  weeks  of  alternate  rain 
and  sunshine,  soon  after  which  the  disease  made  its  ap- 
pearance. 

In  southern  Illinois  some  of  the  old  settlers  believed  that 
the  rot  was  caused  by  the  heavy  dews,  which  are  usual  in 
that  section ;  this  may  be  one  of  the  causes,  but  probably 
there  are  several  that  have  something  to  do  with  it.  I  have 
seen  vines,  a  part  of  which  were  trained  under  the  eaves  of 
a  house ;  the  fruit  on  this  part  was  not  affected,  while  on 
that  portion  which  was  not  so  protected  from  the  dew,  it 
was  almost  entirely  destroyed.  In  the  same  garden  there 
were  vines  growing  in  among  the  branches  of  small  fruit 
trees ;  the  grapes  on  them  were  sound,  while  those  unpro- 
tected were  destroyed. 

Since  that  time  I  have  seen  several  articles  in  our  horti- 


208  THE    OK  APE   CULTUKIST. 

cultural  papers  ascribing  heavy  dews  as  the  cause  of  the 
rot.  If  this  should  prove  to  be  the  fact,  a  preventive  can 
be  readily  applied  by  nailing  a  wide  board  flat-wise  on  the 
top  of  the  trellis ;  it  is  worth  a  trial  at  least.  I  have  never 
had  any  difficulty  in  checking  this  disease  and  saving  a  part 
of  the  fruit,  the  part  saved,  however,  is  scarcely  worth  thfi 
trouble. 

Dusting  the  bunches  with  sulphur  at  the  first  appearance 
of  the  disease  will  generally  stop  its  further  progress ;  but 
this  would  be  a  tedious  operation  to  perform  on  a  whole 
vineyard ;  besides,  the  sulphur  will  adhere  to  the  inside 
of  the  bunches  until  the  fruit  is  ripe,  making  a  rather  un- 
pleasant mixture  of  grapes  and  sulphur.  A  preventive 
is  what  is  wanted,  and  not  a  remedy,  for  of  these  there  have 
been  any  number  recommended — such  as  gypsum,  ashes, 
lime,  mulching  the  vineyard,  besides  the  most  absurd  of  all 
practices,  that  of  allowing  the  weeds  to  grow  unmolested 
and  the  ground  without  cultivation  during  the  summer. 
Probably  the  best  method  to  pursue  is  to  choose  those 
varieties  that  are  the  least  liable  to  be  affected,  and  plant 
them  upon  well-drained  soils. 

The  first  appearance  of  the  disease  is  a  small  dark-colored 
spot  upon  the  green  fruit ;  this  soon  spreads  over  the  en- 
tire berry — the  growth  is  stopped,  and  it  either  falls  off  or 
shrivels  up,  still  adhering  to  the  bunch.  Sometimes  the 
whole  cluster  is  affected  ;  at  other  times  only  a  few  of  the 
berries.  This  disease  (if  it  is  the  same)  seems  to  have  af- 
fected the  Concord  differently  from  the  other  varieties.  As 
the  fruit  came  to  its  full  size,  not  a  berry  dropped  off  with 
me,  but  they  only  changed  to  a  dark  red  and  remained 
stationary,  making  no  further  progress ;  neither  were  there 
any  whole  bunches  affected,  only  a  few  berries  in  each. 

MILDEW. 
Mildew  is  a  very  minute  fungus,  or  parasitic  plant,  that 


DISEASES.  209 

attaches  itself  to  living  plants  and  draws  its  nourishment 
therefrom  ;  and  though  generally  found  upon  living  bodies, 
still  it  attacks  only  those  that  are  feeble,  as  these  either 
have  not  sufficient  strength  to  repel  it,  or  the  very  weak- 
ness of  the  plant  gives  it  a  welcome. 

The  mildew  is  usually  found  upon  the  leaves  of  the  grape ; 
when  it  first  appears  it  is  but  a  single  small  white  speck, 
but  it  is  soon  surrounded  by  others,  and  by  their  rapid 
multiplication  they  extend  over  the  surface.  These  minute 
vesicles  are  connected  by  a  small  thread-like  film,  which 
penetrates  the  epidermis  of  the  leaf,  and  often  goes  com- 
pletely through  the  leaf;  but  sometimes  it  only  destroys 
the  epidermis  of  one  side.  The  mildew,  under  favorable 
circumstances,  will  appear  upon  different  portions  of  the 
leaf  at  the  same  time,  and  when  this  occurs  the  whole  sur- 
face is  soon  overrun — the  leaf  soon  changes  its  color  and 
its  functions  are  destroyed. 

The  fungus  does  not  confine  itself  wholly  to  the  leaf,  but 
often  attacks  the  young  green  portions  of  the  stem,  and 
lastly  the  fruit.  There  are  doubtless  several  species  of 
fungi  that  feed  upon  the  grape,  but  the  causes  that  favor 
the  growth  of  one  will  probably  be  congenial  to  others,  and 
for  practical  purposes  they  may  all  be  considered  as  one. 
The  fruit  of  our  indigenous  varieties  is  not  so  liable  to  be 
infested  by  mildew  as  the  leaves,  but  when  they  are  much 
weakened  by  it  the  fruit  will  seldom  entirely  escape.  The 
fruit  of  the  foreign  varieties,  when  grown  in  this  country  in 
the  open  air,  will  usually  be  more  affected  than  the  leaves, 
and  the  same  is  true  with  the  Southern  varieties  when  grown 
at  the  North. 

Young  vines  are  more  liable  to  mildew  than  older  ones, 
and  those  grown  under  glass  are  often  very  much  injured 
by  it.  A  confined  humid  atmosphere  is  very  productive 
of  mildew ;  and  though  its  ravages  may  often  be  checked 
by  a  liberal  application  of  sulphur  and  proper  ventilation, 
still,  plants  that  have  once  become  weakened  by  it  are  more 


210  THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

liable  to  it  than  those  that  have  never  been  attacked.  When 
the  vines  are  planted  too  thickly,  either  in  the  house  or 
open  air,  they  are  more  or  less  liable  to  be  attacked  by 
mildew.  Anything  that  tends  to  weaken  the  plants — like 
a  cold  soil,  sudden  changes  of  weather,  or  extremes  of  heat 
or  cold,  several  cloudy  days  in  succession,  followed  by 
bright  sunshine,  or  a  few  days  of  cold  weather,  will  usually 
weaken  young  plants  sufficiently  to  render  them  liable  to 
be  attacked. 

To  prevent  mildew  get  good  strong  plants  of  healthy 
varieties,  plant  them  upon  a  warm  soil,  and  then  train 
them,  whether  young  or  old,  so  that  the  light  and  air  may 
reach  every  leaf.  Also,  allow  no  greater  number  of  shoots 
or  leaves  to  be  produced  than  can  be  fully  developed.  A 
free  circulation  of  air  is  desirable,  but  cold  northern  winds 
are  to  be  avoided.  If  these  directions  are  strictly  followed, 
but  little  injury  will  result  from  mildew,  even  upon  those 
varieties  that  are  generally  supposed  to  be  more  or  less 
affected. 

SUN   SCALD. 

This  is  another  disease,  produced  mainly  by  sudden 
changes  of  the  atmosphere,  although  the  natural  unhealth- 
iness  of  the  plant  may  have  something  to  do  with  it. 
There  are  but  few  of  our  native  varieties  that  suffer  much 
from  sun  scald,  and  usually  it  is  those  that  have  soft  leaves 
with  a  feeble  texture.  The  Isabella  is  a  variety  that  prob- 
ably has  been  more  affected  by  this  disease  than  any 
other,  and  it  is  more  prevalent  in  this  vicinity  and  south- 
ward than  farther  north.  It  usually  makes  its  appearance 
after  a  fewT  cloudy  damp  days,  especially  if  they  are  follow- 
ed by  very  hot  clear  weather. 

The  leaves  seem  to  become  blistered  or  burnt,  sometimes 
the  whole  leaf  will  be  destroyed,  and  others  will  be  only 
affected  in  spots.  That  portion  injured  will  turn  brown, 
and  in  a  few  days  it  becomes  dry  and  crisp.  If  the  leaves 


DISEASES.  211 

on  bearing  vines  are  much  injured  by  sun  scald  the  fruit 
does  not  mature,  and  usually  it  is  the  largest  leaves  and 
those  nearest  the  fruit  that  are  affected  the  most.  The 
month  of  August  here  is  very  trying  upon  all  varieties  that 
do  not  possess  strong  and  healthy  leaves.  The  more 
glossy  and  shining  the  surface  of  the  leaves,  apparently  the 
less  liable  are  they  to  sun  scald,  though  there  are  some  va- 
rieties with  a  dull  rough  surface  that  I  have  never  known 
to  be  affected.  Sun  scald  and  mildew  often  go  together, 
and  vines  affected  by  the  one  are  very  likely  to  be  attacked 
by  the  other. 

There  is  another  species  of  fungus  called  rust  that  is 
sometimes  found  upon  the  vines ;  the  young  shoots  are  the 
part  usually  attacked.  This,  however,  is  not  very  prevalent, 
and  seldom  found  upon  bearing  vines,  but  confined  chiefly 
to  the  nursery.  It  is  probably  caused  by  some  mismanage- 
ment or  unsuitable  soils. 

The  foregoing  are  the  principal  diseases  that  prevail  to 
any  extent  in  this  country,  all  of  which,  with  perhaps 
the  single  exception  of  the  rot,  may  be  avoided  by  simply 
giving  the  vines  a  dry  soil,  and  strictly  following  some 
judicious  method  of  training.  It  may  be  necessary  to  dis- 
card a  few  of  the  varieties  now  in  cultivation  for  particular 
localities,  and  this  would  probably  be  a  gain  instead  of  a 
loss.  And  perhaps  the  rot,  which  is  now  so  prevalent  at 
the  West,  may  be  entirely  avoided  by  the  introduction  of 
other  varieties. 


212  THE  GKAPE   CULTDEIST. 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    VARIETIES. 

OUR  nursery  catalogues  contain  an  almost  endless  list  of 
names  of  grapes,  said  by  their  producers  to  be  different 
varieties,  but  many  of  them  are  so  nearly  alike  it  would 
be  difficult  for  their  most  intimate  acquaintances  to  point 
out  their  differences.  The  wild  vines  of  our  forests,  it  is 
true,  are  not  all  alike,  but  they  are,  with  few  exceptions, 
so  entirely  wanting  in  all  the  qualities  of  a  good  grape  as 
to  be  unworthy  of  notice.  The  same  is  true  of  seedlings. 
In  a  collection  of  a  thousand,  no  two  may  be  just  alike 
while  all  may  be  quite  similar,  and  they  may  be  inferior  to 
the  parent  and  unworthy  of  cultivation. 

There  are  but  very  few  native  varieties^  of  the  grape  that 
are  worth  cultivating,  and  the  best  of  these  are  compara- 
tively little  known. 

If  a  variety  succeeds  well  in  one  place  it  is  not  certain 
that  it  will  do  so  in  another,  although  those  well  acquainted 
with  the  requirements  of  different  kinds  as  to  locations, 
can  usually  judge  very  correctly.  Neither  can  any  correct 
estimate  of  the  real  value  of  a  variety  be  made  from  the 
appearance  of  a  single  vine,  because  there  may  be  circum- 
stances influencing  it  that  are  not  known,  and  it  is  only 
when  it  has  been  distributed  and  fruited  in  different  locali- 
ties that  its  real  value  can  be  ascertained.  I  might  name 
several  varieties  that  have,  during  the  last  ten  years,  been 
sent  out  with  high  recommendations,  that  have  proved  to 
be  entirely  worthless.  In  nearly  every  case  the  encomi- 
ums were  bestowed  upon  them  from  noticing  the  results 
of  a  single  vine,  cultivated  with  the  greatest  care.  In 
some  instances  this  vine  was  original,  and  in  others  an  old 


DESCRIPTION    OF   VARIETIES.  213 

variety  which  happened  to  be  placed  under  circumstances 
very  favorable  to  its  growth  and  full  development.  I  am 
thus  particular  in  mentioning  these  circumstances  that  the 
reader  may  not  be  misled  with  high-sounding  names  or 
recommendations  that  may  be  given  to  new  varieties  not 
thoroughly  tested. 

We  shall  have  many  new  kinds  offered  every  season — a 
few  good  ones,  but  more  that  are  worthless  ;  and  in  most 
cases  we  shall  be  obliged  to  buy  both,  that  we  may  test 
them  and  judge  for  ourselves.  But  it  is  not  advisable  to 
buy  largely  of  any  until  we  have  learned  their  value  by 
actual  experiment,  or  from  the  personal  experience  of 
others  upon  whose  word  and  judgment  we  can  implicitly 
rely.  In  describing  a  variety  of  grape  we  use  a  number 
of  terms,  some  of  which  have  a  vague  meaning  to  those 
who  do  not  know  the  source  from  which  they  were  derived. 
For  instance,  foxy,  foxiness,  foxy  flavor,  etc.,  are  terms 
that  are  applied  to  a  peculiar  flavor  or  smell  which  is 
always  found  in  the  wild  varieties  of  the  Labrusca  species, 
and  it  remains  to  a  greater  or  less  degree  in  all  its  seed- 
lings. This  foxy  flavor  is,  to  some  persons,  not  disagreea- 
ble, even  when  it  is  very  intense,  as  it  is  in  some  of  the 
wild  varieties  ;  but  to  others  it  is  extremely  offensive. 
Every  country  boy  and  girl  in  the  Eastern  States  knows 
what  is  meant  by  fox  grapes,  and  they  are  not  likely  to 
forget  the  peculiar  flavor  of  that  fruit  when  they  become 
older.  I  well  remember  when  a  boy,  in  Western  New 
York,  of  knowing  where  every  frost  grape  vine  was  for 
miles  around  ;  but  a  fox  grape  would  have  been  a  curiosity 
to  me,  there  being  no  such  thing  within  the  circle  of  my 
explorations. 

The  frost  grape  belongs  to  another  species,  and  it  has  a 
spicy  flavor,  but  no  trace  of  foxiness  ;  but  the  frost  grape 
of  Western  New  York  is  not  of  the  cordifolio,  species, 
which  is  the  frost  grape  of  Eastern  New  York,  New  Jer- 
sey, and  New  England  States.  The  Clinton  is  a  large  rep- 


214  THE    GRAPK    CULTURIST. 

resentative  of  the  varieties  of  the  frost  grape  of  Western 
New  York. 

These  distinctive  foxy  flavors,  particularly  when  in  ex- 
cess, are  not  considered  a  recommendation,  but  usually 
detract  from  the  value  of  a  variety.  Any  variety  that  has 
a  strong  distinctive  taste  will  seldom  become  a  general 
favorite.  A  smooth,  agreeable  flavor,  even  if  it  is  not  rich, 
will  better  suit  the  masses  than  a  rich  fruit  with  a  peculiar 
flavor,  for  these  will  suit  only  peculiar  people. 

A  grape  that  possesses  but  very  little  sugar  and  very 
little  acid  may  be  agreeable,  but  not  rich ;  for  a  fruit  to  bo 
of  the  best  quality  must  contain  sugar  and  acids  in  abund- 
ance, along  with  the  other  ingredients  that  are  found  in 
all  good  grapes.  A  small  quantity  of  sugar  and  lemon- 
juice  does  not  make  a  good  glass  of  lemonade — plenty  of 
both  being  required.  We  have  many  varieties  of  grapes 
that  are  good,  and  those  who  have  never  eaten  anything 
better  will  be  satisfied  with  such  until  they  have  tasted 
those  that  are  superior.  A  grape  may  be  really  rich  in 
quality,  and  still  possess  a  flavor  that  to  a  majority  of  per- 
sons would  be  intolerable.  There  has  been  and  there  is 
still  much  discussion  as  to  what  constitutes  best  quality  in 
a  grape,  and  so  long  as  we  allow  some  particular  charac- 
teristic to  be  our  guide  instead  of  the  whole,  we  shall  never 
settle  the  question.  One  person  admires  a  large  grape, 
while  another  cares  nothing  about  size,  but  wants  a  sweet 
grape ;  these  are  only  matters  of  taste  and  do  not  aflect 
quality ;  for  quality  in  a  grape  is  essentially  a  compound, 
but  taste  is  simple. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  requisites  of  a  grape  of 
the  first  quality : 

1st.  A  large  amount  of  sugar. 

2d.  A  large  amount  of  acids,  principally  tartaric. 

3d.  A  brittle,  tender  pulp ;  if  it  is  nearly  a  liquid,  so 
much  the  better. 

4th.  No  strong,  distinctive  flavor. 


DESCRIPTION   OF   VARIETIES. 


215 


5th.  Large  and  moderately  compact  bunch. 

6th.  Large  berry. 

7th.  Small  seeds. 

8th.  Berries  adhering  firmly  to  their  peduncles. 

9th.  Thin  skin,  but  sufficiently  tough  to  prevent  bursting. 

The  above  characteristics  refer  more  particularly  to 
table  grapes,  as  wine  grapes  may  possess  particular  char- 
acters and  flavors  that  would  very  much  detract  from  their 
value  as  dessert  fruit,  and  still  be  unsurpassed  for  wine. 

The  most  popular  grapes  for  the  dessert  are  seldom  the 
best  for  wine,  as  the  peculiar  taste  or  odor  that  is  offensive 
in  the  fruit  may  be  changed  by  fermentation  so  as  to  be- 
come agreeable  in  wine. 

The  form  and  corresponding  size  of  our  native  varieties 
may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  following  figures.  Fig.  85 
is  what  is  usually  termed  small ;  Fig.  86,  medium  ;  Fig.  87, 
large  ;  Fig.  88,  very  large ;  these  are  all  round  :  Fig.  89, 


Fig.  85. 


Fig.  86. 


Fig.  8T. 


Fig.  88.  Fig.  89.  Fig.  90. 

oval ;  Fig.  90,  oblong  oval :  this  latter  form  is  as  yet  quite 
rare.  I  have  only  met  one  variety  that  has  oblong  oval 
berries. 


216  THE    GRAPE    CULTURI8T. 


ADIRONDAC. 

What  is  supposed  to  be  the  original  vine  of  the  Adiron- 
dac  grape  was  found  in  the  grounds  of  J.  G.  Witherbee,  at 
Port  Henry,  in  the  town  of  Moriah,  Essex  County,  New 
York,  and  first  noticed  in  1852.  The  vine  stands  about 
ten  rods  up  the  slope,  and  about  fifty  feet  above  the  waters 
of  Lake  Champlain.  The  hills  at  the  base  of  which  the 
vine  grows  are  some  two  hundred  feet  high,  and  shelter  it 
on  all  sides  as  well  as  it  could  be  protected  naturally,  the 
valley  opening  only  to  the  south.  The  situation  is  very 
favorable  in  every  respect  for  the  early  maturing  and  full 
development  of  the  fruit,  with  the  one  exception  of  being 
rather  too  far  north  for  many  of  our  best  varieties. 

I  visited  this  vine  in  the  fall  of  1862  and  took  notes  of 
the  surroundings,  and  description  of  fruit,  etc. ;  on  my  re- 
turn I  made  a  verbal  report  to  the  Fruit  Growers'  weekly 
meeting  at  the  office  of  the  American  Agriculturist.  That 
report,  as  published,  is  on  the  whole  correct,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  last  line,  which  reads :  "  J  consider  it  a  great 
acquisition  /"  it  ought  to  have  read,  u  If  this  variety  proves 
to  be  as  good  in  other  locations  as  there,  I  shall  consider 
it  a  great  acquisition."  When  I  first  saw  the  report  in 
print,  I  did  not  notice  that  I  had  been  made  to  recom- 
mend a  new  variety  from  merely  seeing  one  vine  in  fruit ; 
and  I  am  far  from  having  any  such  confidence  in  my  own 
abilities  as  to  determine  the  future  value  of  a  grape  by 
seeing  only  one  vine  in  bearing. 

The  fruit  from  the  original  vine  of  the  Adirondac  has 
been  shown  the  past  season,  and  still  promises  well,  but 
how  it  will  prove  in  other  localities  is  still  unknown.  It  is 
without  doubt  a  seedling  of  the  Isabella,  and  may  possess 
some  of  the  faults  of  that  variety  when  removed  farther 
South. 

The  following  description  was  made  at  the  time  of  visit- 


DESCRIPTION    OF   VARIETIES.  217 

ing  the  original  vine :  bunch  large  and  compact,  shouldered. 
Berries  large,  round.  Skin  thin,  dark,  nearly  black,  cov- 
ered with  a  delicate  bloom.  Flesh  tender,  with  scarcely 
any  pulp,  melting  sweet,  but  not  rich.  The  leaves  large, 
resemble  the  Isabella,  but  apparently  thicker,  and  the  up- 
per surface  more  uneven.  Also  the  alse  of  the  large 
leaves  overlap  considerably.  Ripens  before  the  Isabella, 
but  how  much  earlier  I  can  not  judge  from  appearances.  A 
strong  and  vigorous  grower. 

ANNA. 

Raised  by  EH  Hasbrouck,  of  Newburg,  New  York. 
Seedling  of  Catawba.  Bunches  large,  loose,  and  shoulder- 
ed. Berries  large,  white,  covered  with  a  thin  white  bloom. 
Flesh  very  tough  at  the  center ;  so  much  so  that  it  is  hardly 
worthy  of  cultivation  at  the  North  ;  the  pulp  may  become 
more  tender  when  grown  in  more  southern  localities, 
where  the  season  will  allow  it  to  become  fully  ripe.  The 
small  amount  of  juice  between  the  tough  pulp  and  skin  is 
very  sprightly,  rich,  and  excellent.  A  good  strong  grower, 
and  productive.  Ripens  in  this  vicinity  the  first  to  middle 
of  October. 

ALLEN'S  HYBRID. 

There  were  originally  several  varieties  of  grapes  dissem- 
inated under  the  above  name,  they  being  kept  distinct  by 
the  use  of  numbers ;  at  present  but  one  is  known  under  the 
name  of  Allen's  Hybrid.  This  is  supposed  to  be  a  hybrid 
of  the  Vitis  Labrusca  species  and  the  Vitis  Vinifera, 
and  has  more  of  the  characteristics  of  the  two  species  com- 
bined than  any  other  of  the  so-called  hybrids.  It  was  raised 
by  J.  F.  Allen,  Salem,  Massachusetts.  Bunches  medium  to 
large,  shouldered,  sometimes  clustered,  compact.  Berries 
medium,  round.  Skin  thin,  pale  amber,  when  fully  ripe. 

10 


218  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

Flesh  tender,  without  pulp,  sprightly  and  vinous,  excel- 
lent. Early,  ripens  the  first  of  September.  Vine  not  very 
hardy,  but  sufficiently  so  for  garden  culture  in  most  of  the 
Northern  States.  It  will  not  do  for  vineyard  culture  un- 
less the  vines  are  covered  in  winter  and  the  situation  is 
well  protected,  as  its  leaves  sometimes  suffer  from  the 
strong  cool  northern  winds  in  summer. 

ALYEY,   OR  HAGAR. 

The  Alvey  belongs  to  a  class  of  Southern  grapes  that 
have  not,  upon  a  whole,  been  very  successful  at  the  North, 
as  most  of  them  have  proved  too  tender  for  vineyard  culture ; 
besides,  the  season  is  usually  too  short  to  allow  them  to  fully 
mature  the  fruit.  The  Alvey  appears  to  be  quite  hardy  in 
protected  situations,  and  fully  ripens ;  but  the  berries,  like 
all  of  its  class,  are  too  small  for  a  table  grape — they  would 
do  for  wine. 

Bunches  medium  to  large,  loose,  shouldered.  Berries 
small,  round.  Skin  thin,  black,  covered  with  a  very  thin 
blue  bloom.  Flesh  without  pulp,  vinous.  Ripens  the 
middle  to  last  of  September.  A  strong  grower.  Leaves 
roundish,  obscurely  three-lobed,  coarsely  toothed.  Deep 
green  above  and  beneath,  the  upper  surface  shining. 

CONCORD. 

This  variety  was  raised  by  E.  W.  Bull,  of  Concord, 
Massachusetts.  It  is  a  really  fine  native  grape,  and  has 
steadily  grown  in  favor  ever  since  its  introduction,  and 
probably  there  are  more  vines  of  it  being  planted  at  the 
present  time  than  of  any  other  variety.  It  is  very  hardy, 
of  vigorous  growth,  and  very  productive.  Its  beautiful 
appearance  makes  it  one  of  the  most  attractive  market 
grapes ;  and  for  this  purpose  there  is  perhaps  no  variety 
that  excels  it. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    VARIETIES.  219 

Among  all  the  varieties  that  have  been  thoroughly 
tested,  the  Concord  is  without  doubt  the  most  profitable 
for  market.  It  will  grow  and  produce  abundant  crops  in 
situations  and  upon  soils  where  some  of  the  better  flavored 
and  more  delicate  varieties  would  utterly  fail.  Although 
its  fruit  can  not  be  called  the  best  in  quality,  still  it  seems 
to  suit  the  masses ;  or  at  least  they  prefer  an  abundance, 
if  it  is  not  quite  so  delicate,  to  a  small  supply  of  something 
that  is  really  superb. 

Geo.  Husmann,  the  well  known  vineyardist  of  Hermann, 
Missouri,  says  that  the  Concord  has  proved  to  be  an  excel- 
lent wine  grape  in  that  locality ;  and  I  have  no  reason  to 
doubt  his  testimony,  though  it  is  doubtful  if  it  will  prove 
to  be  a  good  wine  grape  here. 

Bunch  compact,  large,  shouldered.  Berries  large,  round, 
black,  thickly  covered  with  a  beautiful  blue  bloom.  Skin 
thin,  often  very  thin.  Flesh  moderately  juicy,  sweet, 
rather  buttery.  Pulp  quite  tender  when  fully  ripe ;  some- 
times quite  acid  at  the  center,  with  considerable  of  the 
foxy  flavor.  Vine  very  hardy  and  vigorous.  Leaves  very 
thick  and  enduring;  dark  green  above,  rusty  beneath. 
Ripens  from  10th  to  20th  of  September. 

CLINTON. 

The  Clinton  is  supposed  to  have  been  first  introduced 
to  public  notice  some  thirty  years  ago,  by  a  Mr.  Lang- 
worthy,  of  Rochester,  New  York.  The  vine  is  so  very 
hardy  and  vigorous  that  it  often  succeeds  in  localities 
where  all  others  fail.  It  is  at  *the  present  time  being  rec- 
ommended more  particularly  for  wine,  and  without  doubt 
in  many  localities  proves  to  be  valuable  for  that  purpose. 
The  fruit  possesses  a  peculiar  spicy  flavor  that  is  very  agree- 
able to  many  persons.  When  thoroughly  ripe  it  is  far  bet- 
ter than  many  of  the  new  varieties.  It  should  be  planted 
on  rather  poor  soil,  as  it  is  naturally  a  rampant  grower, 


220  THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

and  when  planted  in  rich  soils  it  is  almost  uncontrolla- 
ble. Bunches  medium,  usually  shouldered,  but  often  irreg- 
Bunches  medium,  usually  shouldered,  but  often  not  irreg- 
ular in  size,  compact.  Berries  medium,  round,  black,  cov- 
ered with  pale  blue  bloom;  juicy,  spicy,  vinous  flavor. 
Leaves  green  above  and  smooth  beneath.  Ripens  15th  to 
25th  of  September. 

CASSADY. 

An  accidental  seedling  found  in  the  garden  of  P.  H. 
Cassady,  of  Philadelphia.  It  has  not  proved  to  be  more 
than  third-rate  with  me,  but  it  is  said  to  be  quite  good  in 
some  localities  at  the  West.  Bunches  medium,  compact, 
rarely  shouldered.  Berry  medium,  round,  greenish- white, 
sometimes  pale  amber  on  one  side  ;  covered  with  a  whitish 
bloom.  Flesh  juicy  with  considerable  pulp,  vinous  but  not 
rich.  Leaves  large,  pale  green  above  and  whitish  woolly 
beneath.  A  strong  and  vigorous  grower,  but  with  me  it 
has  been  quite  unproductive.  Ripens  the  last  of  September. 

CREVELING— CATAWISSA,  OR  BLOOM. 

A  new  variety  from  Pennsylvania,  said  to  be  very  early. 
Not  fully  tested  except  in  the  vicinity  where  it  originated. 
Bunches  medium,  compact,  shouldered.  •  Berries  medium 
to  large,  nearly  round,  black,  with  but  little  bloom.  Flesh 
moderately  juicy,  sweet,  not  high  flavored,  but  good. 
Vine  hardy  and  vigorous.  Judging  from  the  few  vines 
that  have  borne  fruit  in  this  vicinity  the  past  season,  it  is 
no  earlier  than  several  others  of  the  new  varieties. 


CATAWBA. 

This  old  and  well-known  variety  was  introduced  to  no- 
tice some  forty  years  ago  by  John  Adlum,  of  Georgetown, 
District  of  Columbia.  It  has  been  for  many  years  the 


DESCRIPTION   OF   VARIETIES.  221 

standard  vine  grape  of  the  country,  but  owing  to  its  un- 
certainty on  account  of  the  rot,  it  is  now  in  many  sections 
being  discarded,  and  other  and  more  reliable  kinds  being 
planted  instead.  It  was  never  a  favorite  in  the  Eastern 
States,  owing  to  its  lateness  in  ripening.  In  localities 
where  it  will  fully  mature,  and  is  not  aifected  with  rot, 
there  are  very  few  better  varieties.  Bunches  medium  to 
large,  rather  loose,  shouldered.  Berries  large,  round. 
Skin  thick,  deep  red,  covered  with  a  lilac  bloom.  Flesh 
pulpy,  sweet,  with  a  rich,  vinous,  and  somewhat  musky 
flavor.  Vine  vigorous  and  productive. 

CUYAHOGA. 

This  is  supposed  to  be  an  accidental  seedling,  found  and 
introduced  to  notice  by  a  Mr.  Wemple,  of  Collamer,  Cuya- 
hoga  County,  Ohio.  It  has  been  considerably  distributed 
in  the  last  five  or  six  years,  but  its  real  character  has  not 
been  fully  ascertained ;  a  large  portion  of  the  vines  appear 
to  be  more  or  less  subject  to  mildew,  and  the  fruit  is 
rather  late  in  ripening.  Some  four  years  since  I  received 
a  variety  from  Cincinnati,  under  the  name  of  Coleman's 
White,  which  has  proved  to  be  the  same  as  Cuyahoga. 
Whether  there  is  a  distinct  variety  called  Coleman's,  or 
that  it  is  only  another  name  for  Cuyahoga,  I  have  not  been 
able  to  ascertain.  Bunches  medium,  shouldered,  compact, 
Berries  medium  to  large,  round,  covered  with  a  very  thin 
bloom.  Pulp  tender,  juicy,  and  sweet,  but  little  flavor,  not 
rich.  Color,  pale  greenish  white.  Wood  short  jointed, 
and  the  vine  a  strong  and  vigorous  grower  when  not  at- 
tacked by  mildew.  Ripens  first  of  October. 

DELAWARE. 

This  grape  is  supposed  to  have  originated  in  the  garden 
of  Paul  H.  Provost,  in  Kingswood  Township,  Hunterdon 


222  THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

County,  New  Jersey.  It  is  a  purely  native  variety,  and 
probably  a  seedling  of  Catawba,  or  one  of  that  group.  It 
was  first  brought  to  notice  by  H.  Thompson,  of  Delaware 
County,  Ohio.  If  I  could  have  but  one  variety  for  my  own 
use,  it  certainly  would  be  the  Delaware,  as  it  is  the  highest 
flavored  native  grape  known.  It  is  rather  a  slender  grower 
at  first,  but  when  it  becomes  old  and  well  established,  it  is 
what  may  be  called  a  good  grower,  but  never  a  rampant 
one.  All  that  it  requires  is  a  good  rich  soil,  with  fair  cul- 
ture, to  produce  the  best  results.  Bunch  medium,  very 
compact,  and  generally  shouldered.  Berries  medium, 
round.  Skin  thin,  of  a  beautiful  dark-red  color  when  fully 
ripe.  Flesh  tender  and  juicy,  scarcely  any  pulp,  exceed- 
ingly sweet,  but  still  brisk  and  vinous,  never  cloying  to  the 
taste.  Vine  very  hardy,  moderately  vigorous,  and  pro- 
ductive. Ripens  the  first  of  September. 

DIANA. 

A  seedling  of  Catawba,  raised  by  Mrs.  Diana  Crehore, 
of  Boston,  and  introduced  to  public  notice  about  twenty- 
five  years  ago.  There  is  probably  no  one  variety  of  grape 
in  cultivation  in  regard  to  which  there  is  a  greater  diver- 
sity of  opinion,  and  its  variableness  fully  warrants  all  that 
is  said  about  it.  In  one  section  it  is  really  excellent, 
while  in  another,  perhaps  near  by,  it  is  entirely  worth- 
less ;  and  the  same  difference  is  often  observable  in  the 
same  garden,  and  from  no  apparent  cause.  It  is  one  of 
the  best  keeping  grapes  that  we  have,  owing,  in  a  great 
measure,  to  its  thick  skin. 

Bunches  medium  to  large,  compact,  not  generally 
shouldered.  Berries  medium,  sometimes  quite  large, 
round,  often  ripen  very  unevenly.  Skin  thick,  pale  red, 
covered  with  a  thin  bloom.  Flesh  tender,  with  some  pulp, 
juicy,  rich,  sweet,  and  vinous ;  but  in  some  seasons  and 
localities  it  possesses  a  peculiar  musky  flavor  that  is  to 


DESCRIPTION    OF   VARIETIES.  223 

most  persons  very  offensive.  After  the  fruit  has  been 
gathered  for  some  time,  this  peculiar  flavor  in  a  great 
measure  disappears.  Vine  is  vigorous  and  productive, 
quite  hardy  here,  but  will  require  covering  in  most  places 
at  the  North.  Ripens  middle  to  last  of  September. 

ELSINBURGH. 

Supposed  to  have  originated  in  Elsingburgh,  Salem 
County,  New  Jersey.  This  little  grape  has  been  in  culti- 
vation for  many  years,  but  owing  to  its  small  size  it  has 
never  been  highly  valued.  Bunches  medium  to  large, 
rather  loose,  shouldered.  Berries  small,  skin  thin,  black, 
covered  with  a  thin  blue  bloom.  Flesh  without  pulp, 
sweet,  vinous  flavor.  Leaves  dark-green,  smooth.  Wood 
long,  jointed,  and  slender.  Ripens  the  last  of  Sep- 
tember. 

GOLDEN  CLINTON,   OR  KING. 

This  grape  is  supposed  to  be  a  seedling  of  the  Clinton, 
and  resembles  that  variety  very  much,  with  the  exception 
of  its  fruit,  which  is  greenish  white,  with  a  yellow  tinge 
instead  of  black.  The  size  and  quality  of  the  fruit  is  about 
the  same  as  the  Clinton.  It  can  scarcely  be  called  an 
improvement  on  the  original,  unless  its  color  be  considered 
one. 

HARTFORD  PROLIFIC. 

This  grape  has  been  before  the  public  for  several  years, 
but  did  not  seem  to  be  fully  appreciated  until  quite  lately ; 
it  is  now  being  planted  principally  for  market,  as  it  is  the 
earliest  of  the  passably  good  grapes  of  the  color  that  we 
have  among  the  well-tried  varieties.  It  is  wonderfully 
productive  and  hardy,  and  unless  the  vine  is  severely 


224  THE    GEAPE    CULTURIST. 

pruned,  and  the  young  bearing  canes  checked  in  summer, 
the  bunches  will  be  loose  and  the  fruit  will  shake  off  quite 
easily.  Raised  by  Mr.  Steel,  of  Hartford,  Connecticut. 
Bunches  large,  shouldered,  compact.  Berries  large,  round. 
Skin  rather  thick,  black,  with  very  little  bloom.  Flesh 
sweet,  juicy,  with  considerable  pulp;  somewhat  foxy  in 
flavor.  Ripens  the  first  week  in  September. 

HERBEMONT. 

This  variety  has  been  disseminated  under  several  differ- 
ent names — such  as  Warren,  Neal  Grape,  Herbemonts, 
Madeira,  etc.  Its  origin  is  unknown,  but  was  introduced 
here  from  South  Carolina  some  thirty  years  ago.  It  is 
not  suited  to  the  Northern  States,  as  the  vine  is  quite 
tender  and  the  fruit  often  mildews ;  besides,  it  is  quite  late 
in  ripening.  In  gardens  or  well-protected  situations  it  will 
sometimes  succeed,  as  will  almost  any  of  the  tender  varie- 
ties. It  is  said  to  do  very  well  in  the  southern  part  of 
Ohio,  and  farther  south,  but  it  is  of  no  value  here  except 
when  protected  as  we  have  indicated.  Bunches  very 
large,  shouldered,  exceedingly  compact.  Berries  small, 
round,  dark  blue-black,  covered  with  a  light  bloom.  Skin 
thin,  without  pulp,  juicy,  sweet,  and  vinous.  Vine  a  very 
coarse  grower.  Wood  light-colored,  covered  with  a  white 
waxy  bloom.  Ripens  first  of  November. 

IONA. 

A  new  variety,  raised  by  C.  W.  Grant,  of  lona  Island, 
near  Peekskill,  New  York.  It  has  as  yet  been  but  very 
little  disseminated,  but  from  the  few  vines  that  have  borne 
in  different  localities,  we  can  judge  something  of  its 
character.  I  have  had  it  in  bearing  for  the  past  three 
years,  and  consider  it  the  most  promising  of  all  the  new 
varieties.  It  is  a  seedling  of  the  Catawba,  and  the  leaf 


DESCRIPTION    OF    VARIETIES.  225 

somewhat  resembles  that  variety,  but  more  clear  and  of  a 
brighter  green.  The  vine  is  a  strong  and  vigorous  grower, 
short  jointed,  and  quite  hardy.  Bunches  large,  shouldered, 
compact.  Berries  large,  round,  semi-transparent  when 
they  begin  to  ripen,  but  growing  opaque  as  the  color 
deepens.  Skin  thin,  pale  red,  with  small  deep  red  veins  at 
first,  changing  to  dark  red  when  fully  ripe.  Flesh  tender, 
with  very  little  pulp  at  the  center.  Sweet  brisk  flavor,  ex- 
cellent, but  not  quite  equal  to  Delaware.  Ripens  from 
10th  to  20th  of  September. 

ISRAELLA. 

This  is  another  seedling  raised  by  Dr.  Grant,  and  one 
that  promises  well,  although  I  am  not  aware  of  its  having 
been  fruited,  except  at  lona,  where  it  originated.  I  have 
several  times  eaten  fruit  from  the  original  vine  at  the  Isl- 
and, and  have  been  very  much  pleased  with  it.  How  it 
will  succeed  in  other  localities  is  yet  to  be  ascertained. 
Should  this  arid  the  Adirondac  sustain  their  present  char- 
acter, we  shall  have  two  really  good  varieties  added  to  our 
now  rather  small  list.  Bunches  medium  to  large,  shoul- 
dered, compact.  Berries  large,  slightly  oval.  Skin  thin, 
black.  Flesh  tender  to  the  center,  sweet,  and  rich. 
Ripens  the  first  of  September. 

ISABELLA. 

This  is  too  well  known  to  need  a  description.  There 
was  a  time  when  it  had  no  competitor  in  the  New  York 
market;  and  even  now  there  are  comparatively  few  of  any 
other  kind  to  be  seen  until  the  Catawbas  come  in  from  the 
West.  The  newer  varieties  are  being  brought  forward  in 
large  quantities  each  year,  and  they  will  probably  sooner 
or  later  take  the  place  of  the  Isabella ;  not  because  it  is 
so  much  inferior  to  some  of  the  new  kinds,  but  because  it 

10* 


226  THE   GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

is  so  uncertain  in  this  vicinity.  It  is  really  more  uncertain 
here  than  farther  north.  The  leaves  seem  to  fail  just  at 
the  time  they  are  needed  to  aid  in  ripening  the  fruit.  The 
month  of  August  is  usually  very  trying  to  the  leaves  of  all 
kinds,  and  unless  they  are  naturally  strong  and  healthy 
they  are  sure  to  suffer  in  this  vicinity,  though  they  may 
entirely  escape  in  another. 

LE   NOIR— THE   BLACK. 

This  is  another  of  a  quite  large  class  of  Southern  varie- 
ties that  have  been  introduced  into  the  Northern  States 
during  the  last  twenty  or  thirty  years,  none  of  which  have 
proved  to  be  of  any  great  value  here,  as  they  are  usually 
rather  tender.  For  garden  culture  some  of  them  are  quite 
desirable,  as  they  are  different  in  character  from  our 
Northern  varieties.  They  often  reach  us  under  different 
names ;  and  there  is  at  present  so  much  confusion  in  regard 
to  the  correct  names  for  the  different  varieties,  that  I  shall 
not  attempt  to  fully  describe  any  of  them.  The  one  known 
as  Le  Noir  is  quite  distinct  from  Herbemont,  both  in 
growth  and  foliage.  The  wood  is  shorter  jointed  and 
much  darker  in  color,  the  leaves  nearer  round.  The  fruit 
gives  color  at  least  two  weeks  earlier ;  bunches  not  so  com- 
pact and  much  better..  The  Louisville  Seedling  appears 
to  be  the  same  as  Le  Noir.  The  Lincoln  resembles  the 
Le  Noir,  with  leaves  more  distinctly  lobed.  Pauline  is  sim- 
ilar to  Herbemont,  but  fruit  lighter  color ;  and  to  those  I 
may  add  Long,  Devereux,  Harris,  Thurmond,  Wylie,  St. 
Genevieve,  Ohio  Cigar  Box,  and  a  half  dozen  more  that  I 
have  received  as  distinct  and  valuable  varieties.  If  they 
are  different  I  have  not  been  able  to  detect  it.  The  Alvey, 
Lincoln,  and  Le  Noir  are  probably  the  best  for  the  North- 
ern States ;  and  even  these  are  not  so  good  when  cultivated 
here  as  are  many  indigenous  to  this  section.  This  class  of 
grapes  may  be  properly  called  wine  grapes,  and  in  sections 


DESCRIPTION    OF    VARIETIES.  227 

where  they  fully  ripen  they  are  hardly  to  be  surpassed  for 
making  light  delicate  wine. 

LOGAN. 

This  grape  was,  on  its  introduction,  supposed  to  be  a 
great  acquisition,  and  sold  rapidly  at  an  enormous  price ; 
but  it  has  sadly  failed  to  meet  public  expectation,  being  of 
only  second  quality.  Bunches  medium,  shouldered,  com- 
pact. Berries  medium  to  large,  oval.  Flesh  juicy,  with 
little  pulp,  usually  rather  insipid  in  flavor.  Vine  a  slender 
grower,  leaves  small,  three-lobed.  Ripens  middle  of 
September. 

LYDIA. 

A  new  variety,  raised  by  Mr.  Carpenter,  of  Kelly's  Isl- 
and, in  Lake  Erie.  It  is  a  large  white  grape  that  promises 
weU. 

MARTHA. 

Raised  by  Samuel  Miller,  Calmdale,  Lebanon  County, 
Pennsylvania.  Not  yet  disseminated.  The  entire  stock 
of  this,  and  another  seedling  not  yet  named,  is  in  the  hands 
of  J.  Knox,  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  I  am  indebted  to 
Geo.  Husmann  for  the  following  description,  which  he  made 
while  visiting  Mr.  Miller's  place  last  fall :  bunches  medium, 
rather  loose,  shouldered.  Berries  large,  round,  pale  yel- 
low. Slightly  pulpy,  sweet,  juicy,  very  slightly  foxy. 
Quality  very  good,  most  of  the  berries  containing  only  a 
single  seed,  and  that  very  small.  Vine  a  strong  grower, 
hardy  and  healthy,  promises  to  be  very  productive.  A 
seedling  of  Concord. 

NORTON'S  VIRGINIA. 

Raised  by  Dr.  Norton,  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  about 
forty  years  ago.  It  seldom  ripens  so  as  to  be  eatable  ip 


228  THE    GKAPK    CULTUKIST. 

this  vicinity,  and  is  too  harsh  and  sour  to  make  wine. 
Farther  south,  and  in  some  parts  of  the  West,  it  is  said  to 
become  sweet,  at  least  sufficiently  so  to  make  an  excellent 
wine.  It  is  quite  hardy,  and  remarkably  free  from  dis- 
ease. The  vineyardists  of  Hermann,  Missouri,  esteem  it 
as  one  of  the  best  and  most  reliable  wine  grapes  they  have. 
Bunches  very  long,  occasionally  shouldered,  not  very 
compact.  Berries  small,  round.  Skin  thin,  black.  Flesh 
a  little  pulpy,  rather  harsh  in  flavor.  A  strong  healthy 
grower.  Leaves  pale  bright  green.  Ripens  here  middle 
to  last  of  October. 

REBECCA. 

An  accidental  seedling,  found  in  the  garden  of  E.  M. 
Peake,  of  Hudson,  New  York.  It  is  probably  a  seedling 
of  Isabella,  as  it  resembles,  in  its  general  character,  many 
of  the  white  varieties  grown  from  that  kind.  They  are 
usually  rather  insipid  in  flavor,  and  the  leaves  are  more  or 
less  liable  to  mildew.  The  Rebecca  is  rather  tender — too 
much  so  to  be  of  value  for  vineyard  culture.  It  succeeds 
very  well  in  protected  situations,  and  it  requires  a  dry  soil, 
as  the  roots  appear  to  be  more  sensitive  than  the  top. 
Bunches  medium,  compact,  not  generally  shouldered.  Ber- 
ries medium  to  large,  slightly  oval,  skin  thin,  pale  green, 
tinged  with  yellow,  with  a  light  bloom.  Flesh  tender, 
with  very  little  pulp  ;  sweet,  but  not  rich.  Ripens  15th  to 
25th  of  September. 

ROGERS'   HYBRIDS. 

Raised  by  Mr.  Rogers,  of  Salem,  Mass.,  and  claimed 
to  be  hybrids,  between  a  variety  of  Vitis  Labrusca  and 
Vitis  vinifera  •  but  judging  from  what  I  have  seen  of 
them,  they  are  but  pure  native  varieties  of  the  Labrusca 
species.  If  this  should  prove  to  be  the  case  it  would  not 
detract  from  their  merits,  but  give  us  more  confidence  in 


DESCRIPTION    OF   VARIETIES.  229 

them  than  if  they  were  a  mixture  of  the  two  species 
named. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  these  varieties  were  not 
thoroughly  tested,  names  given  to  the  best  of  them,  and 
the  others  discarded,  before  any  were  sent  out,  as  there 
has  already  been  considerable  confusion  created  in  endeav- 
oring to  keep  them  distinct  by  the  use  of  numbers  only. 
They  are  but  little  known  except  in  the  vicinity  where 
they  originated.  Nos.  4,  15,  and  19  are  at  present  believed 
to  be  the  best. 

The  following  description  is  that  given  by  Mr.  Rogers^ 
and  though  it  may  be  correct  as  they  appeared  to  him  at 
the  time  of  writing  it,  still  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that 
they  will  all  prove  to  be  equally  as  good  in  other  localities. 

"  No.  1. — This  is  a  splendid-looking  grape  ;  bunch  large, 
shouldered ;  berries  large,  very  oval,  resembling  the  Mal- 
aga in  shape ;  color,  amber,  flushed  with  red  on  one  side  ; 
skin  very  thin  ;  flesh  tender,  juicy  with  high  aromatic 
flavor  ;  ripens  with  Isabella. 

"  No.  2. — Bunch  large,  shouldered;  berries  large,  inclined 
to  oval ;  color  purple  or  black  ;  flesh  tender,  of  a  very  high 
aromatic  vinous  flavor ;  ripens  with  Isabella. 

"  No.  3. — This  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  collection  ; 
bunch  of  good  size ;  berry  round ;  color  red,  like  Diana ; 
skin  thin ;  flesh  very  tender  and  juicy,  with  a  slight  taste 
of  the  Native  in  flavor ;  as  early  as  the  Hartford  Prolific. 

"  No.  4. — This  is  a  splendid-looking  fruit,  much  resem- 
bling a  Black  Hamburgh  ;  berries  large,  slightly  oval ;  skin 
thin,  with. thick  bloom  ;  flesh  tender,  sweet,  and  melting; 
as  early  or  earlier  than  the  Concord. 

"  No.  5. — Bunch  medium ;  berry  large,  roundish  in  form ; 
color,  dark  red ;  flesh  tender,  very  sweet,  with  a  rich  aro- 
matic flavor ;  one  of  the  earliest. 

"  No.  9. — This  is  a  variety  which  received  a  premium 
at  the  Ohio  State  Fair,  as  the  second  best  seedling,  in  1861. 
It  has  a  bunch  of  medium  size;  berry  medium,  round; 


230  THE    GRAPE    CULTTTRTST. 

color  like  Diana ;  flesh  tender,  sweet,  high  aromatic  flavor ; 
earlier  than  Diana. 

"  No.  15. — This  is  considered  the  best  grape  of  the  col- 
lection, by  the  majority  of  good  judges ;  bunch  of  good 
size,  rather  loose,  shouldered ;  berries  roundish,  large ; 
color,  amber,  darker  than  the  Catawba ;  tender,  with  no 
tough  pulp,  juicy,  and  of  very  rich  aromatic  flavor,  and 
superior,  in  the  opinion  of  good  judges,  to  any  of  the  best 
new  varieties  of  hardy  grapes  grown  here ;  early ;  fully 
ripe  this  season  ten  days  before  the  Concord,  growing 
within  a  few  feet ;  vine  very  vigorous  and  free  from  mil- 
dew, where  Isabella  and  Rebecca  growing  near  were  very 
much  affected. 

"No.  19. — This  is  a  variety  for  which  a  premium  was 
given  as  the  best  hybrid  grape  at  the  exhibition  of  the 
Essex  Agricultural  Society,  1859,  and  of  which  the  com- 
mittee spoke  as  follows :  '  This  large,  early  grape,  of  the 
size  and  color  of  the  Black  Hamburgh,  we  thought  to  be 
the  finest  variety  shown ;  bunches  and  fruit  large  and  com- 
pact, and  a  strong  grower.  We  can  not  but  consider  this 
sort  to  be  an  acquisition  for  this  locality,  where  the  Isa- 
bella and  Diana  are  apt  to  fail.' 

"  No.  22. — Color,  amber  ;  bunch  and  berry  of  good  size ; 
flesh  of  a  rich  aromatic  flavor. 

"No.  30.  —  Bunch  large,  shouldered;  berries  large, 
roundish;  color,  light  amber;  flesh  tender  and  juicy,  of  a 
rich  aromatic  flavor ;  ripens  with  Diana ;  vine  vigorous  and 
very  productive. 

"No.  33. — Bunch  large,  shouldered,  and  compact;  berry 
large ;  color  black ;  flesh  tender,  sugary,  and  of  a  rich, 
high  flavor ;  one  of  the  earliest — by  some  pronounced  the 
best. 

"  No.  43. — Bunch  large,  and  shouldered ;  berry  medium, 
roundish ;  color,  black ;  flesh  tender,  of  a  sweet,  pleasant 
flavor ;  very  productive  and  early. 

"No.  44. — Much  like  the  last,  a  little  earlier j   bunch 


DESCRIPTION    OF    VARIETIES.  231 

large,  looser ;    berry   medium ;    color,   black ;    flesh   very 
sweet  and  tender." 


TAYLOR'S  BULLITT. 

Introduced  to  notice  by  Judge  Taylor,  of  Jericho,  Henry 
County,  Kentucky.  It  is  one  of  those  rampant  growers 
that  we  often  meet  among  the  wild  varieties.  It  may 
answer  to  cover  arbors  where  shade  is  valued,  but  is  ques- 
tionable if  it  is  really  worth  cultivating  for  its  fruit.  It  is 
very  unproductive,  arid  the  bunches  are  usually  so  small 
and  deformed  that  it  requires  a  very  large  vine  to  produce 
even  a  small  number  of  pounds.  Some  of  our  Western 
vineyardists  say  that  it  is  productive  ;  if  so,  it  is  there  of 
a  different  character  than  here,  for  with  me  it  is  worthless. 
I  have  seen  it  in  bearing  in  several  places,  and  have  exam- 
ined the  fruit  sent  from  the  West,  but  as  yet  I  have  not 
been  so  fortunate  as  to  see  even  a  medium-sized  bunch. 
The  fruit  is  of  medium-size,  pale  greenish  white,  and  not 
of  bad  quality ;  but  there  is  altogether  too  little  of  it. 
The  stamens  of  the  flowers  are  generally  deformed,  not 
affording  pollen  sufficient  to  fertilize  the  stigma ;  conse- 
quently the  fruit  fails. 

UNION   VILLAGE 

Originated  among  the  Shakers  at  Union  Village,  Ohio. 
It  resembles  the  Isabella,  and  is  probably  a  seedling  of  that 
variety,  and  scarcely  better  in  quality  though  of  nearly 
double  the  size.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  largest  native  grape 
that  we  have.  Bunches  very  large,  compact,  shouldered ; 
berries  very  large,  round  when  fully  ripe,  quite  sweet,  not 
rich,  with  very  little  pulp  ;  skin  thin,  black,  covered  with 
bloom.  Vine  a  vigorous  and  coarse  grower.  Ripens  first 
to  middle  of  October. 


232  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

ADDITIONAL    LIST. 

The  following  list  comprises  those  varieties  of  which  we 
know  but  little,  as  they  have  not  been  thoroughly  tested, 
and  another  class  which  we  have  either  fully  tested  or  have 
seen  enough  to  know  that  they  are  not  worthy  of  cultiva- 
tion at  the  present  time,  although  before  the  introduction 
of  better  varieties  they  were  the  best  to  be  had.  In  giv- 
ing this  list,  and  making  notes  upon  the  different  varieties, 
I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  deciding  for  others ;  I 
give  my  own  opinion,  and  if  it  disagrees  with  that  of 
others  I  can  not  help  it. 

I  have  remarked  that  the  real  value  of  a  variety  can  not 
always  be  determined  by  the  appearance  or  quality  of  the 
fruit  upon  a  single  vine.  A  variety  may,  however,  pos- 
sess a  character  so  poor  that  there  would  be  no  hope  of 
improving  it  so  as  to  make  it  worthy  of  place  even  in  the 
largest  collection.  For  instance,  no  one  will  suppose  that 
a  wild  fox  grape  can  be  changed  l)y  cultivation  so  that  it 
would  be  really  any  better  than  when  it  was  in  its  wild 
state.  Wild  fruits  are  seldom  much  improved  by  cultiva- 
tion. It  is  only  when  we  produce  new  varieties  from  seed 
that  we  can  expect  improvements,  and  it  is  only  the  highly 
improved  varieties  that  are  much  affected  by  slight  changes 
of  soil  and  location.  Keeping  this  in  mind,  we  can  the 
more  readily  determine  the  value  of  any  new  variety  that 
may  be  presented  to  us.  No  amount  of  care  or  change  of 
soil  or  location  will  make  a  wild  fox  or  frost  grape  worthy 
of  cultivation  ;  and  any  seedling  that  partakes  strongly  of 
the  wild  character  of  the  species  from  which  they  were 
grown,  will  not  be  likely  to  be  much  improved. 

ALEXANDER. 

Bunch  large,  shouldered,  compact.  Berries  medium  to 
large,  oval,  black.  Poor  flavor,  somewhat  foxy.  Too  late 
to  be  of  value  here. 


DESCRIPTION   OF   VARIETIES.  233 

ARKANSAS. 

About  a  dozen  different  varieties  are  disseminated  under 
this  name,  probably  not  one  of  them  of  any  value.  A 
large  black  variety,  sold  under  this  name,  has  proved  to 
be  the  Isabella. 

ALBINO,   OR  ALBINESS. 

A  large  white  grape,  tough,  sour,  and  worthless. 

ALLAIR. 

A  large  red  grape  of  no  value. 

BAXTER. 

One  of  the  Southern  group.  Late.  Very  acid.  Of  no 
value  here. 

BLUE  FAVORITE. 

Similar  to  the  last,  and  frequently  worthless. 

CHIPPEWA,   CYNTHIANA,  AND   MISSOURI. 

These  three  varieties  are  of  very  similar  character. 
Fruit  small,  black,  or  blue-black.  Sour  and  worthless. 

CANBY'S  AUGUST— see  YORK  MADEIRA. 

CLOANTHA. 

Resembles  the  Isabella  in  appearance,  but  quite  foxy. 

COWAN. 

A  variety  considerably  grown  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Champlain  and  river  St.  Lawrence.  Medium  size,  black, 
handsome,  but  very  harsh  and  sour.  A  new  seedling  from 
this,  called  the  Sherman,  is  said  to  be  an  improvement. 

EMILY. 

Two  varieties  have  been  sent  out  under  this  name.     One 


234  THE   GRAPE   CULTUEIST. 

is  a  small,  black,  worthless  wild  grape,  and  the  other  is  a 
red  grape,  which  is  either  a  foreign  variety  or  seedling  of 
one,  and  of  no  more  value  than  the  former. 

EARLY  HUDSON. 

Of  medium  size,  round,  black.  Quite  early.  Not  very 
good,  but  curious,  inasmuch  as  many  of  the  berries  contain 
no  seeds. 

FANCHER. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Charles  Downing,  I  have 
received  several  specimens  of  the  fruit  from  the  original 
vine ;  and  judging  from  these,  it  is  neither  more  nor  less 
than  the  Catawba.  It  may  be  a  seedling  of  the  Catawba ; 
if  so,  it  is  probably  only  another  case  of  reproduction 
without  any  considerable  variation. 

FRANKLIN. 

A  small  black  grape  that  may  prove  very  good  for  wine, 
but  is  not  good  enough  for  a  table  grape.  Vine  very  vig- 
orous, hardy,  and  productive. 

GARRIGUES. 

The  difference  between  this  and  the  Isabella  is  so  slight, 
if  any,  that  it  ought  not  to  be  called  a  distinct  variety. 
Two  vines  of  the  Isabella  growing  in  the  same  garden 
will  often  show  a  greater  difference  than  has  ever  been 
claimed  to  be  between  the  Garrigues  and  Isabella. 

GRAVEL   GRAPE. 

Appropriately  named.     Small,  black,  worthless. 

GRAHAM. 

A  small,  dark-colored  grape ;  requires  a  warm,  protected 
situation  to  insure  its  ripening.  Sweet,  sprightly,  and 
good.  Will  probably  be  valuable  farther  south.  V" ^ 


DESCRIPTION    OF   VARIETIES.  235 

HYDE'S  ELIZA. 

Raised  by  Mr.  Wilkes  Hyde,  near  Catskill,  New  York. 
It  has  been  in  cultivation  some  forty  years,  but  has  not 
been  considered  of  any  great  value.  Vine  hardy  and  pro- 
ductive. Berries  medium,  black,  covered  with  a  blue 
bloom.  Sweet,  with  little  pulp,  but  of  fair  quality.  Ripens 
the  last  of  August  to  10th  of  September.  Vine  hardy  and 

productive. 

LOUISA. 

Raised  by  Samuel  Miller,  Calmdale,  Pennsylvania.  It  is 
very  similar  to  Isabella,  but  appears  to  be  earlier,  and  the 
vine  not  so  subject  to  disease. 

MANHATTAN. 

Originated  on  Long  Island.  Bunches  small.  Berries 
medium,  round,  greenish  white,  covered  with  bloom. 
Sweet,  with  tough  pulp.  Strong  foxy  flavor.  Berries  fall 
from  the  bunch  with  very  little  handling.  Scarcely  worth 
cultivating.  Vine  and  leaves  covered  with  a  whitish  waxy 
bloom. 

MAXATAWNEY. 

Originated  at  Eagleville,  Berks  County,  Pennsylvania. 
Bunches  medium  to  large,  moderately  compact.  Berries 
medium,  greenish  white,  oval.  Flesh  quite  tender,  with- 
out pulp  when  fully  ripe.  Quality  good.  It  is  rather  too 
late  in  this  locality  to  be  reliable. 

MARION. 

Some  half  dozen  varieties  in  cultivation  under  this  name. 
The  large  black  Marion  is  the  Isabella.  Another  is  a  red 
fox  grape.  The  Marion  Port  is  one  of  the  varieties  of 
the  frost  grape — small,  black,  sour,  and  worthless. 

MARY  ANN. 

An  early  black  grape,  with  large  bunches.  Berries 
oblong  oval,  quite  sweet,  but  very  foxy. 


THE   GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

MEADE'S   SEEDLING. 

Supposed  to  be  an  accidental  seedling;  found  in  the 
garden  of  John  Meade,  Lowell,  Massachusetts,  in  1847. 
Said  to  be  a  seedling  of  the  Catawba ;  if  so,  it  is  so  near 
like  its  parent  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  detect  the  dif- 
ference. 

MILES. 

Bunches  medium.  Berries  medium,  black,  oblong. 
Sweet,  rather  buttery,  but  good.  Very  early.  Vine  a 
strong  and  vigorous  grower. 

NORTH  AMERICA. 

A  large  black  fox  grape,  quite  early.  Sweet,  but  with 
so  much  of  the  foxy  character  that  it  is  not  worthy  of  being 
called  good. 

NEBRASKA. 

I  have  received  several  vines  from  Nebraska,  under  dif- 
ferent names,  but  so  far  they  appear  to  be  all  of  the  same 
variety,  possessing  no  particular  value  to  the  vineyardist. 
They  are,  however,  in  a  botanical  sense,  quite  interesting. 

ONTARIO. 

This  was  supposed  to  be  a  new  and  distinct  variety,  but 
I  believe  it  is  generally  admitted  by  our  best  judges  to  be 
the  Union  Village. 

OPORTO. 

Although  this  variety  has  been  christened  with  a  foreign 
name,  probably  because  it  was  thought  it  would  make  a 
wine  similar  to  port,  still  it  is  a  true  native,  of  the  same 
species  as  the  Taylor's  Bullitt,  and  possessing  the  same 
defect  in  its  flowers.  The  bunches  are  usually  very  imper- 
fect. Berries  small,  black,  harsh,  and  very  acid.  It  is, 
take  it  altogether,  the  poorest,  with  one  exception,  of  all 
the  varieties  that  it  has  been  my  lot  to  purchase.  It  is 


DESCRIPTION    OF   VARIETIES.  237 

said  to  be  a  good  and  productive  variety  in  some  localities ; 
if  so,  then  change  in  location  can  work  a  more  wondrous 
change  in  quality  than  we  have  ever  given  it  credit  for. 

PERKINS. 

One  of  the  varieties  received  under  this  name  has  proved 
to  be  the  Isabella ;  and  the  other  is  a  small  black  fox  grape 
of  no  value. 

RULAND,   OR  RULANDER. 

There  may  be  a  distinct  variety  by  this  name,  but  the 
one  I  have  received  is  the  Logan.  In  visiting  Mr.  Down- 
ing the  past  season,  I  found  that  he  had  received  the  same 
variety  under  the  same  name  as  myself. 

ST.  CATHERINE. 

Those  who  admire  the  foxy  flavor  of  some  of  our  native 
grapes  will  find  much  in  this  variety  to  admire.  The 
bunches  and  berries  are  very  large  and  handsome,  and  the 
berries  adhere  to  the  bunch  quite  firmly  for  one  of  its  class. 
They  are  quite  sweet,  with  considerable  toughness  in  the 
pulp,  and  a  strong  foxy  flavor.  Vine  hardy,  vigorous,  and 
productive. 

TO  KALON. 

A  very  large  and  really  beautiful  grape.  The  color  is 
dark  mahogany,  approaching  a  black  when  fully  ripe.  The 
fruit  is  so  uncertain,  being  subject  to  rot,  that  in  this 
vicinity  it  is  hardly  worth  planting.  An  occasional  vine 
will  succeed  very  well,  and  in  other  localities  it  may  prove 
to  be  more  certain. 

UNDERBILL'S   SEEDLING. 

Raised  by  Dr.  A.  K.  Underbill,  Charlton,  Saratoga 
County,  New  York.  Exhibited  at  the  great  grape  show 
at  the  American  Agriculturist  office,  41  Park  Row,  New 
York,  Oct.,  1863.  From  notes  made  at  the  time  I  take 


238  THE    GRAPE   CTJLTUEIST. 

the  following:  bunches  medium.  Berries  large,  round. 
Flesh  sweet,  with  tough  pulp  at  the  center ;  not  so  foxy  in 
flavor  as  some  others,  yet  too  much  so  to  be  pleasant. 
Skin  thick,  dark  red,  similar  in  color  to  Catawba.  Berries 
shake  off  from  the  bunch  very  easily.  Of  no  more  value 
than  many  other  fox  grapes. 

WILMINGTOX. 

In  appearance  this  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
new  white  varieties,  but  in  quality  it  is  not  more  than  third- 
rate;  it  may  be  better  farther  south,  or  in  very  warm, 
protected  situations.  Bunches  very  large,  loose,  shoul- 
dered. Berries  large,  round,  quite  acid,  with  a  pungent 
flavor.  Skin  thick,  greenish  white,  covered  with  bloom, 
A  vigorous,  coarse  grower,  with  large  tough  leaves ;  wood 
long  jointed.  Ripens  middle  to  last  of  October. 

YORK  MADEIRA. 

An  old  variety,  sometimes  called  Canby's  August.  It  is 
smah1,  black,  early,  but  harsh  in  flavor ;  so  much  so,  that  it 
is  little  esteemed  at  the  present  time. 

The  foUowing  are  a  few  of  the  new  varieties  that  have 
not  been  fully  tested.  Some  of  them  have  not  yet  been 
sent  out  by  their  originators.  Probably  a  few  of  the  num- 
ber will  prove  to  be  valuable  acquisitions :  Archer,  Braek- 
ett's  Seedling,  Emma,  Elizabeth,  Coriell,  Mary,  Haskel, 
Mottled  (Carpenter's),  Urbana. 

There  are  probably  one  hundred  different  varieties  of  the 
wild  fox  grapes  that  are  offered  and  highly  recommended 
in  some  nursery  catalogues.  Some  of  them  are  merely  the 
wild  varieties,  just  as  they  were  found  in  their  native 
localities  ;  others  may  be  a  little  larger  either  in  bunch  or 
berry  than  those  usually  found.  The  Dracut  Amber  and 
Blood's  Black  are  slightly  improved  varieties,  while  such 
as  Blood's  White,  Camden,  Provost  White,  Sage,  Massa- 


DESCRIPTION   OF   VARIETIES.  239 

chusetts  White,  and  hosts  of  others,  are  just  such  grapes 
as  are  found  in  almost  all  the  woods  of  the  Eastern  States. 

There  is  a  greater  or  less  number  of  varieties  belonging 
to  each  of  the  native  species  of  the  grape,  therefore  it  caii 
readily  be  seen  what  an  easy  matter  it  would  be  to  make 
up  a  long  list  of  names  of  varieties,  without,  perhaps,  hav- 
ing a  single  kind  among  the  whole  that  would  be  worth 
cultivating,  and  still  they  might  all  be  more  or  less  distinct. 

Foreign  varieties  are  often  given  a  new  name  and  sent 
out  as  new  native  grapes.  They  are  mostly  of  the  Sweet 
Water  or  Chasselas  varieties,  as  these  usually  succeed 
better  than  those  of  the  Hamburgh  and  Muscat;  but 
they  are  on  the  whole  entirely  unsuited  to  our  climate, 
although  in  a  few  isolated  locations  they  will  sometimes 
succeed  very  well  for  a  time.  Another  method  of  increas- 
ing varieties,  which  is  almost  as  disreputable  as  the  last, 
is  that  of  raising  seedlings  from  foreign  varieties  and  pass- 
ing them  off  as  native.  These  are  really  nothing  more 
than  foreign  varieties,  and  growing  them  from  seed  does 
not  make  them  native  grapes.  Among  this  latter  class  we 
have  the  Brinkle,  Merritt's  Seedling,  Canadian  Chief, 
Childs'  Superb,  El  Paso,  and  a  number  of  others  which  I 
forbear  to  mention,  as  enough  have  been  enumerated  to 
give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  caution  and  fortitude  which 
he  will  need  in  establishing  a  vineyard  of  even  the  most 
moderate  extent. 


24:0  THE    GRAPE   CULTURIST. 


CHAPTEK    XX. 

REVIEW  OF  VAKIOUS  SYSTEMS  OF  PRUNING  AND  TRAINING. 

IN  giving  a  synopsis  of  some  of  the  most  prominent 
modes  of  training  the  vine,  I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe 
them  at  length,  or  go  into  the  minute  details  that  have 
been  connected  with  carrying  out  any  particular  system, 
but  only  aim  to  show  the  general  principle  involved.  That 
error  will  often  accompany  truth,  and  creep  in  among  the 
most  simple  plans,  as  well  as  among  those  that  are  intri- 
cate, is  quite  certain ;  and  when  at  last  the  error  is  dis- 
covered, we  wonder  that  it  could  have  remained  so  long 
hidden  under  so  slight  a  covering. 

False  theories  and  false  ideas  have  been,  and  probably 
will  ever  be,  entertained  and  promulgated  in  regard  to 
grape  culture.  I  lay  no  claim  to  infallibility,  and  while  I 
shall  attempt  to  point  out  some  of  the  errors  of  others,  I 
do  not  deny  the  right  of  ah1  to  criticise  my  modes  of  cul- 
ture and  training,  but  rather  invite  it,  believing  that  in  this 
way,  sooner  than  in  any  other,  the  true  system  will  be 
established. 

In  glancing  over  the  various  systems  of  training  that 
have  been  in  use  for  the  last  two  thousand  years,  we  ob- 
serve that  ah1  of  those  which  have  continued  in  use  for  any 
length  of  time,  appear  to  have  been  founded  upon  what  we 
at  the  present  time  call  the  renewal  system — that  is,  the 
young  canes  are  cut  back  every  year,  and  from  buds  on 
these  are  produced,  not  only  fruiting  canes,  but  other  buds 
from  which  fruiting  canes  will  again  be  produced;  and 
thus  two  things  are  kept  in  view,  fruit  this  year,  and  fruit 
buds  for  the  next,  and  both  in  close  proximity.  By  this 


REVIEW   OF   PRUNING   AND  TRAINING.  241 

method  the  vine  produces  an  annual  crop,  never  resting 
longer  than  nature  "designed  it  should ;  for  nature  seems 
to  have  appointed  a  period  of  rest  and  for  labor  for  all  the 
members  of  both  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms. 
But  with  this  known  fact,  so  apparent  to  the  observing 
mind,  there  seem  to  have  been  those  who  were  so  anxious 
to  assist  nature,  that  they  overstepped  her  laws  and  en- 
deavored to  give  her  a  longer  period  of  rest  at  one  time, 
and  more  work  at  another  than  she  required ;  and  in  this 
way  the  alternate  renewal  system  of  training  the  vine  was 
invented.  Although  this  system  of  training  may  be,  in 
some  of  its  various  modifications,  quite  successful  for  a 
time,  the  principle  upon  which  the  whole  struc- 
ture rests  is  an  erroneous  one,  and  will  eventu- 
ally end  in  failure. 

The  first  one  of  these  systems  that  I  shall 
mention  is  the  one  advocated  by  Mr.  Wm. 
Bright,  of  Philadelphia,  in  his  treatise  on  the 
grape  in  1860.  His  system,  which  he  calls  the 
*'  Single-stem  Dwarf-renewal  System,"  goes  be- 
yond all  the  others,  and  grasps  the  very  founda- 
tion, for  its  object  is  the  renewal  of  the  whole 
vine  or  stem,  instead  of  a  part,  as  in  others. 

The  main  points  of  this  system  are  as  follows : 
the  vines  are  planted  in  rows,  say  six  or  eight 
feet  apart,  and  placed  two  feet  apart  in  the 
row.  Each  vine  is  allowed  to  produce  but  one 
cane,  and  so  soon  as  this  is  strong  enough  to 
produce  fruit,  then  the  training  proper  com- 
mences. Suppose  that  we  have  a  row  of 
vines,  each  with  one  cane,  as  seen  at  Fig.  91 ; 
now  we  will  cut  the  first  one  down  to  one  bud, 
and  the  next  at  three  feet,  and  so  on,  every 
alternate  vine  being  cut  back  to  one  bud  (or  at  Fi£-  91- 
least  but  one  is  to  be  allowed  to  grow),  and  the  others  to  the 
length  at  which  we  wish  them  to  fruit.  Those  vines  that 

11 


242 


THE   GRAPE    CULTTJRIST. 


have  been  pruned  to  three  feet  are  expected  to  produce  fruit, 
and  the  others  to  produce  canes  for  fruiting  next  year.  Fig. 
92  shows  a  vine  pruned  for  fruiting,  and  to  prevent  the 
sap  flowing  too  rapidly  to  the  upper  buds,  the  cane  is 
allowed  to  remain  lying  on  the  ground,  or  is  placed  in  a 
horizontal  position  until  the  buds  start,  then  it  is  tied  to  a 
trellis  or  stake  in  an  upright  position.  A  portion  of  the 
buds  on  the  cane  are  allowed  to  push  out  and  produce 
fruit,  and  the  others  rubbed  off.  Fig.  93  shows  a  vine  with 


Fig.  92.  Fig.  98. 

three  bearing  spurs  on  each  side.  The  bearing  shoots  are 
to  be  stopped  a  few  leaves  beyond  the  last  bunch  of  fruit, 
the  same  as  in  other  modes. 

The  sap  will  pass  with  greater  force  into  the  upper 
branches  than  into  the  lower,  consequently  the  fruit  upon 
them  will  be  much  larger  and  better  developed  than  upon 
those  below ;  the  difference  will  usually  be  about  as  shown 
in  the  vine,  Fig.  93.  The  next  pruning  of  these  bearing 
vines  will  be  the  same  as  with  the  one  cane  before  fruit- 
ing— that  is,  down  to  one  bud.  And  here  we  meet  the 
main  difficulty  in  this  system,  for  there  are  no  well-developed 
buds  on  the  cane,  as  they  have  grown  out  the  season  pre- 


REVIEW    OF   PRUNING   AND   TRAINING.  243 

vious  and  formed  canes ;  consequently,  if  the  cane  is  cut 
back,  and  all  these  side  branches  removed,  we  must  depend 
upon  some  accessory  bud  to  produce  another  cane ;  a  good 
one  is  seldom  furnished  in  this  way,  and  there  is  no  cer- 
tainty of  producing  one  at  all.  To  be  sure  the  cane  may 
be  cut  off  just  above  the  lower  spur,  and  a  bud  on  this  be 
allowed  to  grow  and  produce  a  cane  in  place  of  the  one  re- 
moved. But  here  we  meet  still  another  difficulty — that  is, 
the  buds  on  the  lower  fruit  spur  or  branch  are  never  so 
well  developed  as  on  the  upper  ones,  and  the  cane  produced 
from  them  will  usually  be  only  of  moderate  strength ;  and 
we  are  continually  endeavoring  to  produce  what  should  be 
the  best  canes  from  the  weakest  buds. 

The  third  season  the  young  vines  that  were  not  allowed 
to  fruit  are  now  brought  into  the  same  shape  as  the  others, 
and  they  produce  side  branches  and  fruit,  after  which  they 
are  to  be  cut  down.  At  the  end  of  the  third  season,  after 
the  vines  commence  fruiting,  the  system  winds  up,  or  so 
nearly  so  that  no  uniform  mode  of  pruning  can  be  followed ; 
nor  will  there  be  any  regularity  in  the  growth  or  appear- 
ance of  the  vines. 

This  seems  to  have  been  the  fate  of  all  the  strictly  alter- 
nate renewal  systems  that  have  ever  been  invented.  Mr. 
Bright  discovered  his  mistake  when  he  commenced  prun- 
ing his  bearing  vines.  And  although  he  had  committed 
himself  to  the  system,  and  urged  it  with  much  force,  still, 
so  soon  as  he  found  that  it  was  likely  to  fail,  he  promptly 
came  forward  and  confessed  himself  mistaken,  thereby 
showing  that  he  possessed  the  rare  qualification  of  making 
a  vigorous  attack  and  beating  a  gentlemanly  retreat. 

The  next  alternate  renewal  system  that  claims  attention 
is  one  with  horizontal  arms  and  upright  canes.  In  this 
system  of  training,  we  commence  with  the  one  cane  the 
first  season  and  two  the  next,  and  the  third  season  these 
two  canes  are  laid  down  for  arms  ;  these  should  be  about 
four  feet  long,  and  only  four  buds  upon  each  allowed  to 


244 


THE    GEAPE   CULTFKIST. 


grow  and  produce  canes.  The  vine  is  now  supposed  to  be 
three  years  old,  and  the  alternate  pruning  commences  at 
this  time,  and  for  convenience  sake  we  will  call  this  the 
first  year  of  pruning ;  every  alternate  upright  cane  is  cut 
back  to  one  bud,  and  the  others  are  cut  off  to  four  feet. 
Fig.  94  shows  a  vine  with  the  four  upright  canes  at  full 


Fig.  94. 

length,  B,  and  the  others  cut  back  to  the  one  bud,  A.  The 
four  canes  are  supposed  to  produce  side  spurs  or  fruiting 
canes  their  entire  length,  as  the  one  shown,  c ;  this  they 
can  be  made  to  do,  but  the  upper  portion  of  the  stem  will, 
produce  the  best  fruit  in  every  case.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  year  we  will  have  four  new  canes  from  the  four 
canes  that  were  cut  down  to  one  bud,  provided  they  have 
grown,  which  they  will  sometimes  fail  to  do,  because  the , 
sap  will  usually  flow  past  these  single  buds  and  into  the 
canes  where  there  is  a  greater  number  of  buds  to  attract 
it.  But  for  argument's  sake  we  will  admit  that  there  is  no 


REVIEW    OF    PRUNING    AND   TRAINING. 


245 


trouble  upon  this  score,  and  the  few  single  buds  have  each 
produced  a  strong  cane  suitable  for  fruiting ;  we  proceed  to 
cut  back  those  that  have  fruited  down  to  the  arms — the 
small  cross  line  near  the  base  of  each  shows  where  they 
are  to  be  cut.  They  are  all  supposed  to  have  borne  fruit, 
like  the  one  at  c ;  and  here  we  meet  the  same  difficulty 
that  we  did  with  Bright's  single-stem  system  ;  that  is,  there 
is  no  bud  at  the  base  of  the  bearing  canes  to  produce  a 
new  shoot ;  but  according  to  the  rule  laid  down  by  the 
advocates  of  this  system,  we  will  cut  them  back  and  trust 
to  luck  for  another  cane.  The  other  four  canes  will  now 
throw  out  their  side  branches  and  produce  fruit ;  and  this 
brings  us  to  the  end  *of  the  third  season :  and  unless  some 
of  the  latent  buds  at  the  base  of  the  previous  season's 
canes  have  produced  good  strong  new  ones,  which  they 
will  seldom  do,  our  alternate  renewal  is  run  out.  Various 
expedients  will  have  to  be  resorted  to  in  order  to  carry  the 
vine  successfully  through  even  to  the  end  of  the  third  year 
after  the  first  pruning  of  the  upright  canes.  In  the  first 
place,  the  buds  at  the  base  of  the  four-feet  bearing  canes 
will  not  push  unless  the  canes  are  bent  in 
some  manner  so  as  to  check  the  flow  of  sap. 
A  serpentine  form  is  the  one  usually  adopted 
to  force  out  the  lower  buds.  Fig.  95  shows 
an  upright  cane  bent  in  what  is  called  the  ser- 
pentine form,  in  order  to  check  the  flow  of  sap 
and  force  out  the  bud  on  its  entire  length. 
And  again,  these  upright  canes  will  set  more 
fruit  than  they  can  mature,  and  a  portion 
of  it,  or  of  the  buds  themselves,  when  they 
first  start,  must  be  removed.  But  the  great 
difficulty  is  that  the  vine  is  thrown  out  of  bal- 
ance, and  the  sap  is  drawn  into  the  canes 
where  there  is  the  greatest  number  of  buds. 
Where  one  cane  has  ten  buds  and  the  other  but 
one,  it  is  easy  to  see  which  will  have  the  ad-  Fig.  95. 


246 


THE    GKAPE   CULTUEIST. 


vantage ;  not  that  with  the  single  bud,  as  those  who  are 
unacquainted  with  the  vine  might  suppose,  but  the  one 
having  ten.  These  difficulties  are  sometimes  avoided  in 
different  ways  The  upright  canes  are  bent  to  force 
out  the  lower  buds,  and  then  instead  of  cutting  down 
the  bearing  canes  to  their  base,  they  are  cut  above 
one  of  the  side  spurs  as  before  stated,  and  a  shoot  pro- 
duced from  this ;  but  all  of  these  changes  produce  con- 
fusion and  irregularity.  I  doubt  if  there  has  ever  existed, 
or  ever  will,  a  vine  pruned  on  the  alternate  renewal  system 
as  advocated  by  at  least  a  dozen  writers  that  I  could  name, 
that  was  not  a  failure  before  it  had  been  pruned  four 
times  for  fruiting.  It  may  have  young  shoots  and  still 
bear  fruit,  but  anything  like  regularity  in  the  arrangement 
is  at  an  end. 

There  are  various  other  systems  of  training  in  which  the 
alternate  renewal  if?  the  main  feature,  or  is  a  part ;  but  it 
must  be  apparent  to  every  one  who  has  ever  studied  or 
practiced  vine  growing,  that  the  less  alternate  renewal 


1  r 


TV 


/' 


3- 


Fig.  96. 

there  is  in  any  system  the  better.  It  seems  to  be  very  dif- 
ficult to  eradicate  the  idea  that  one  portion  of  the  vine  re- 
quires a  partial  rest,  while  another  part  is  perhaps  perform- 
ing more  than  its  due  proportion  of  work,  and  thereby 
throwing  its  forces  out  of  balance. 

Fig.  96  shows  a  vine  trained  with  horizontal  arms,  but 


REVIEW    OF    PRUNING    AND   TRAINING.  247 

with  alternate  single  and  double  fruiting  canes ;  tins  is 
almost  the  alternate  renewal,  though  at  the  first  glance  it 
would  be  taken  to  be  a  strictly  renewal  system.  The  cross 
lines  near  the  base  of  the  upright  canes  will  show  where 
they  are  to  be  pruned  to  keep  up  this  plan.  On  the  double 
spur  one  of  the  canes  is  to  be  cut  entirely  away,  and  the 
other  to  one  bud,  and  the  single  cane  is  cut  off  at  two  buds, 
and  where  there  are  now  two  canes,  next  year  there  will 
be  but  one ;  and  the  single  cane  of  this  season  will  produce 
two  canes  the  next,  thus  alternating  each  year.  This  plan 
seems  to  be  a  very  plausible  one  ;  but  when  we  come  to  try 
it,  we  find  that  the  spurs  with  two  buds  are  inclined  to 
grow  more  rapidly  than  those  with  only  one,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  the  sap  is  drawn  to  that  point  with  two-fold 
greater  power  than  to  the  single  bud.  If  ah1  were  pruned 
to  one  bud,  then  the  sap  would  be  drawn  to  all  Alike ;  and 
the  same  would  be  the  case  if  all  were  pruned  to  any  other 
number,  from  one  upward.  A  hint  upon  such  points  as 
these  will,  I  think,  be  sufficient,  for  it  is  a  very  easy  matter 
to  try  pruning  a  few  vines  upon  both  plans  before  fully 
adopting  either. 

REVERSING  THE  ARMS. 

There  is  an  old  German  plan  of  laying  down  the  arms, 
which  is  quite  the  reverse  of  those  we  have  shown.  In- 
stead of  the  right-hand  cane  being  laid  down  to  the  right, 


Fig.  9T. 

it  is  bent  over  to  the  left,  and  the  left  one  is  bent  to  the 
right,  as  shown  in  Fig  97,  the  object  being  to  check  the 
flow  of  sap,  and  cause  the  buds  to  break  more  evenly  than 


248  THE   GRAPE   CT3LTURI8T. 

if  the  canes  were  laid  down  without  reversing  them.  It 
does  have  this  effect  upon  the  canes,  and  there  is  no  par- 
ticular objection  to  it,  although  the  same  effect  is  produced 
when  the  arms  are  curved  down  in  the  manner  shown  in  a 
preceding  chapter.  Some  of  those  who  advocate  this  mode 
of  forming  the  arms,  claim  that  the  check  that  is  given  the 
vine  by  thus  bending  them  is  a  benefit,  and  that  its  good 
effects  continue  after  the  first  year ;  this,  however,  is  very 
doubtful,  because  the  growth  of  the  vine  is  made  up  of 
concentric  layers  of  wood,  one  of  which  is  formed  every 
year,  and  the  layer  of  wood  which  is  formed  over  the  one- 
year  cane  after  it  is  bent  down,  would  have  its  internal 
structure  conformed  to  this  position,  and  the  juices  would 
flow  just  as  freely  through  the  new  wood  at  the  bend  as  it 
would  elsewhere. 

SINGLE  ARM  SYSTEM. 

We  have  here  a  system  that  we  are  told  is  the  very  best 
that  has  ever  been  invented.  It  comes  across  the  water 
fully  indorsed,  and  it  also  has  its  advocates  in  this  country ; 
but  with  all  this  testimony  in  its  favor  I  believe  it  to  have 
one  radical  defect,  and  that  it  will  not  prove  satisfactory 
unless  that  is  remedied.  Fig.  98  shows  a  vine  trained  upon 
this  comparatively  new  plan,  and  I  think  that  any  one  who 
has  followed  me  through  the  foregoing  pages,  or  has  him- 
self trained  vines,  will  see  in  a  moment  where  the  defect 
lies;  but  for  fear  that  he  should  not,  I  will  point  it  out. 
The  vines  are  planted  only  three  or  four  feet  apart,  and  are 
grown  and  pruned  in  the  same  manner  as  when  we  train 
with  two  arms,  until  the  time  of  forming  the  arms,  then 
only  one  cane  is  laid  down  and  the  other  is  cut  to  three 
buds.  When  the  buds  push,  four  to  six  are  selected  upon 
the  arms  for  upright  canes,  and  the  others  rubbed  off. 
The  three  buds  left  upon  the  other  cane  are  allowed  to 
grow,  and  if  the  vine  is  a  strong  one,  all  the  buds  will  pro- 
duce fruit,  as  shown  in  the  engraving. 


REVIEW    OF   PRUNING    AND   TRAINING. 


249 


The  bearing  canes  on  the  arm  are  to  be  stopped  at  the 
usual  height,  while  those  on  the  main  spur,  and  directly 
over  the  stock,  are  allowed  to  grow  above  those  on  the 


Fig.  98. 

arm,  and  remain  unchecked  until  later  in  the  season.  Now 
it  is  plain  that  after  these  three  canes  have  got  above  the 
others,  the  sap  will  flow  into  them  more  rapidly  than  into 
the  others ;  besides,  the  arm  being  bent,  the  flow  of  sap 
into  it  is  partially  checked,  while  it  can  flow  directly  up- 
ward without  obstruction  into  the  longest  canes  ;  and  this 
diversion  of  the  course  of  the  sap  takes  place  just  at  the 
time  the  fruit  on  the  arms  need  it  the  most. 

11* 


250  THE   GKAPE    CULTUKI8T. 

Having  seen  this  plan  highly  recommended  in  some 
European  works  on  grape  culture,  I  was  persuaded  to  try 
it  upon  several  varieties ;  and  for  this  purpose  I  selected 
ten  large  strong  Delaware  vines  that  had  two  canes  each, 
also  a  vine  or  two  of  some  ten  or  twelve  other  varieties. 
The  buds  started  and  the  fruit  set  upon  all  very  finely,  and 
everything  seemed  to  work  well  until  the  three  canes  were 
a  few  inches  above  those  upon  the  arms ;  these  three  then 
commenced  growing  very  rapidly,  and  would  probably 
have  grown  twenty  feet  high  if  I  had  not  kept  up  a  con- 
tinual pinching.  Yet  with  all  this  the  fruit  upon  the  arms 
seemed  to  lack  for  nutriment,  and  it  was  far  from  being 
equal  to  that  upon  the  three  main  canes,  or  to  that  upon 
other  vines  where  all  the  bearing  canes  were  checked  alike. 
On  some  of  the  vines  the  arms  were  left  four  feet  long,  and 
on  others  only  two  feet,  but  the  results  of  all  were  very 
similar.  I  have  tried  the  system  on  more  or  less  vines  for 
the  past  four  years,  and  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
it  is  anything  but  a  good  one  if  carried  out  in  accordance 
with  the  plan  given,  because  the  forces  of  the  vine  are 
thrown  out  of  balance  at  just  the  worst  possible  time  it 
could  be  done.  If  the  upright  canes  were  all  stopped  at 
the  same  height,  then  the  plan  is  a  good  one,  but  it  then 
becomes  simply  the  horizontal  arm  system  which  has  been 
already  described.  When  the  buds  on  the  arm  first  start 
they  require  so  much  sap  to  sustain  them,  that  it  flows  with 
probably  as  much  force  into  the  arm  as  into  the  other  por- 
tions ;  but  when  these  canes  on  the  arm  are  checked  and 
the  others  allowed  to  run,  the  equilibrium  is  destroyed. 

In  a  German  work  called  the  "Winzerbuch"  (wine 
book),  by  F.  Rubens,  and  published  at  Leipzig,  in  1858, 
we  find  a  similar  system  shown  at  page  144,  but  with  re- 
sults much  like  those  I  have  mentioned ;  for  the  canes  on  the 
arm  are  shown  as  small  and  weak,  or  about  one  fourth  the 
size  of  those  that  have  grown  from  the  main  stem.  This 
plan  has  also  been  described  by  several  French  writers,  and 


REVIEW    OF   PRUNING    AJSTD   TRAINING. 


251 


has  been  fully  indorsed  by  Dr.  Grant ;  but  these  recommen- 
dations or  indorsements  do  not  affect  the  system,  for  the 
vines  will  persist  in  being  governed  by  natural  laws  in 
spite  of  them. 

BOW  SYSTEM. 

The  Bow  system  of  training  has  been  and  is  still  prac- 
ticed to  some  extent  in  the  vineyards  in  Ohio  and  other 
parts  of  the  country.  When  this  form  is  adopted,  the  vines 
are  usually  trained  upon  stakes  and  planted  nearer  together 
than  when  trained  with  arms. 


Fig.  99.  Fig.  100. 

The  vines  are  started  the  same  as  with  other  systems 
until  we  have  obtained  two  strong  canes  ;  then  one  is  cut 
down  to  two  or  three  buds,  and  the  other  to  eight  or 
twelve,  according  to  the  strength  of  the  vine.  Fig.  99 


252 


THE   GKAPE    CULTURI6T. 


shows  the  new  canes  as  pruned.  The  longest  cane  is  then 
bent  and  forms  what  is  called  the  bow.  Sometimes  the 
end  is  brought  around  and  tied  to  the  stake,  and  at  others 
it  is  only  bent  in  a  half  circle  and  tied  where  it  crosses  the 
stake,  as  shown  in  Fig.  100.  Two  stakes  are  sometimes 
used,  so  as  to  better  support  the  bow  when  it  is  covered 
j  with  fruit  and  foliage. 

The  fruit  is  mainly  pro- 
duced on  the  bow,  and 
the  young  bearing  shoots 
are  stopped  two  or  three 
leaves  beyond  the  last 
bunch  of  fruit.  The  two 
buds  left  on  the  spur  are 
allowed  to  grow  and 
form  canes,  one  of  which 
is  taken  for  the  bow  next 
season.  The  cane  which 
forms  the  bow  is  cut 
away  after  it  has  borne 
one  season.  The  cross 
line  at  its  base  shows 
where  it  is  to  be  cut. 
Fig.  101  shows  the  vine 
as  it  appears  with  fruit. 
The  same  plan  is  pur- 
sued every  year ;  one  of 
the  two  canes  is  cut  at 
a  sufficient  length  to 
form  the  bow,  and  the 
other  cut  back  to 

two  or  three  buds. 

101-  When  the  vine  be- 

comes old  and  strong,  two  bows  are  formed  instead  of  one. 
The  objections  to  this  system  are,  that  when  trained  on 
stakes  the  bearing  shoots  have  no  support,  and  they  swing 


REVIEW    OF   PRUNING   AND   TRAINING. 


253 


about,  and  the  fruit  is  more  or  less  damaged  by  rubbing 
against  the  leaves  and  vine  ;  when  trellises  are  substituted 
for  stakes  this  difficulty  is  removed.  Still  the  same  objection 
remains  which  exists  in  the  single  arm  system — that  is,  one 
portion  of  the  vine  is  severely  checked  while  another  is 
allowed  to  grow  freely.  The  circulation  of  the  sap  in  the 
bow  becomes  less  rapid  as  the  upright  canes  advance,  and 
the  fruit  upon  it  is  only  partially  supplied  with  nutriment 
at  the  time  when  it  is  most  needed.  Where  wine  is  the 
object,  the  bow  system  may  answer  very  well,  as  the  fruit 
is  probably  hastened  in  maturity  by  the  severe  check  that 
is  given  to  the  flow  of  sap. 

Fig.  102  shows  a  bow  system  as  given  by  Rubens.    It 


Fig.  102.  Fig.  108. 

is  merely  a  multiplication  of  bows  upon  the  same  vine. 
Three  or  four  canes  are  grown,  two  of  which  are  left  at 


252 


THE   GRAPE    CULTUKI6T. 


shows  the  new  canes  as  pruned.  The  longest  cane  is  then 
bent  and  forms  what  is  called"  the  bow.  Sometimes  the 
end  is  brought  around  and  tied  to  the  stake,  and  at  others 
it  is  only  bent  in  a  half  circle  and  tied  where  it  crosses  the 
stake,  as  shown  in  Fig.  100.  Two  stakes  are  sometimes 
used,  so  as  to  better  support  the  bow  when  it  is  covered 

with  fruit  and  foliage. 
The  fruit  is  mainly  pro- 
duced on  the  bow,  and 
the  young  bearing  shoots 
are  stopped  two  or  three 
leaves  beyond  the  last 
bunch  of  fruit.  The  two 
buds  left  on  the  spur  are 
allowed  to  grow  and 
form  canes,  one  of  which 
is  taken  for  the  bow  next 
season.  The  cane  which 
forms  the  bow  is  cut 
away  after  it  has  borne 
one  season.  The  cross 
line  at  its  base  shows 
where  it  is  to  be  cut. 
Fig.  101  shows  the  vine 
as  it  appears  with  fruit. 
The  same  plan  is  pur- 
sued every  year ;  one  of 
the  two  canes  is  cut  at 
a  sufficient  length  to 
form  the  bow,  and  the 
other  cut  back  to 

two  or  three  buds. 

• 101-  When  the  vine  be- 

comes old  and  strong,  two  bows  are  formed  instead  of  one. 
The  objections  to  this  system  are,  that  when  trained  on 
etakes  the  bearing  shoots  have  no  support,  and  they  swing 


REVIEW    OF   PRUNING   AND   TRAINING. 


253 


about,  and  the  fruit  is  more  or  less  damaged  by  rubbing 
against  the  leaves  and  vine  ;  when  trellises  are  substituted 
for  stakes  this  difficulty  is  removed.  Still  the  same  objection 
remains  which  exists  in  the  single  arm  system — that  is,  one 
portion  of  the  vine  is  severely  checked  while  another  is 
allowed  to  grow  freely.  The  circulation  of  the  sap  in  the 
bow  becomes  less  rapid  as  the  upright  canes  advance,  and 
the  fruit  upon  it  is  only  partially  supplied  with  nutriment 
at  the  time  when  it  is  most  needed.  Where  wine  is  the 
object,  the  bow  system  may  answer  very  well,  as  the  fruit 
is  probably  hastened  in  maturity  by  the  severe  check  that 
is  given  to  the  flow  of  sap. 

Fig.  102  shows  a  bow  system  as  given  by  Rubens.     It 


Fig.  102.  Fig.  108. 

is  merely  a  multiplication  of  bows  upon  the  same  vine. 
Three  or  four  canes  are  grown,  two  of  which  are  left  at 


254:  THE    GRAPE   CULTURIST. 

considerable  length,  and  by  twisting  them  about  the  stake, 
shoots  are  produced  which  are  bent  down  and  form  the 
bows.  It  is  merely  a  fancy  system,  and  shows  what  can 
be  done  with  the  vine  ;  but  it  is  really  of  no  practical  use. 
Fig.  103  shows  a  system  of  serpentine  training  taken 
from  Rubens'  work,  and  also  given  by  Dr.  Grant.  This 
plan  is  a  very  good  one  for  garden  culture,  as  the  vines  are 
trained  to  stakes  and  pruned  low.  The  stakes  are  set  eight 
inches  to  a  foot  apart,  and  the  upper  ends  brought  together 
and  fastened  as  shown.  The  vines  are  first  grown  with 
one  cane ;  the  next  season  two,  and  the  next  with  four ; 
but  instead  of  cutting  them  down  to  the  two  buds,  they 
are  cut  off  at  from  two  to  four  feet,  and  the  cane  twisted 
around  the  stakes ;  this  checks  the  upward  flow  of  sap, 
and  causes  all  the  buds  to  push  on  the  whole  length  of  the 
cane.  The  next  season  four  more  canes  are  selected  from 
among  the  new  ones  (always  choosing  those  that  are  strong 
and  from  near  the  ground),  and  the  old  canes  are  cut  away 
above  those  selected.  The  new  ones  are  shortened,  and 
twisted  around  the  stakes,  as  those  of  the  previous  season. 

LONG  ROD  SPUR  SYSTEM. 

Fig.  104  shows  a  fanciful  mode  of  training.  It  is  doubt- 
ful, however,  whether  there  was  ever  a  vine  grown  so  per- 
fect as  the  one  shown,  and  it  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  such  a  vine  ever  existed  except  in  the  imagination  of 
the  artist  who  made  the  original  sketch.  It  is  barely  pos- 
sible to  produce  such  a  vine,  but  not  at  all  probable. 

Rubens,  Allen,  Grant,  and  several  others  give  a  similar 
engraving  in  their  works,  and  I  have  inserted  it  merely  to 
show  how  much  easier  it  is  to  produce  a  vine  upon  paper 
than  to  grow  the  vine  itself.  This  vine  is  shown  as  having 
twenty  spurs  upon  it,  each  of  which  is  pruned  the  same  as 
though  they  were  on  a  horizontal  arm.  The  vine  is  sup- 
posed to  be  produced  by  regular  steps  through  a  succes- 


REVIEW   OF    PRUNING    AND    TRAINING. 


255 


sion  of  years  ;  but  any  one  who  has  ever  seen  a  vine  grow- 
ing, must  know  that  the  upward  tendency  of  the  sap  would 
prevent  the  lower  buds  retaining  their  vitality  upon  a  vine 
of  this  height. 


UPRIGHT   CANES 

WITH    SIDE   SPURS. 

I  have  adopted  this  name 
for  the  want  of  a  better, 
and  applied  it  to  a  system 
that  has  been  described  in 
most  of  our  late  works  on 
pomology  under  the  name 
of  renewal  system,  which 
is  not  very  definite,  as  the 
renewal  part  is  applied  to 
so  many  others. 

Fig.  105  shows  the  gene- 
ral form  of  training  adopt- 
ed in  this  plan.  The  vines 
are  started  the  same  as  for 
the  alternate  renewal  sys- 
tem, but  the  upright  canes 
on  the  arms  are  all  allowed 
to  remain  at  equal  length, 
say  from  four  to  six  feet. 
The  vines  are  trained  on 
a  trellis  with  horizontal 
wires,  which  should  be 
placed  about  a  foot  apart, 
so  that  the  young  side- 
shoots  can  be  conveniently 
tied  together.  But  two 
upright  canes  are  here 
shown  on  each  arm ;  the 


Fig.  104. 


256 


THE   GKAPE   CULTT7RI8T. 


REVIEW   OF   PRUNING   AND   TRAINING.  257 

two  at  the  right  hand  of  the  figure  are  shown  with  the  five 
side-shoots  on  each  side,  as  they  are  produced  from  the 
alternate  buds  on  the  cane.  These  side-shoots  or  spurs,  as 
we  will  now  call  them,  are  supposed  to  produce  two  or 
three  bunches  each,  making  from  twenty  to  thirty  bunches 
apiece.  Every  year  these  are  cut  back  to  within  one  or 
two  buds  of  the  uprights,  in  a  similar  manner  to  those  on 
the  horizontal  arm.  The  two  upright  canes  on  the  left- 
hand  arm  are  shown  with  spurs  exactly  opposite,  which  is 
the  usual  manner  of  showing  them  in  illustrating  the  sys- 
tem ;  but  to  produce  them  in  this  manner,  it  would  require 
five  years  to  perfect  the  five  pairs  of  spurs ;  because  it 
would  be  necessary  to  stop  the  vine  while  growing  at  each 
point  where  the  spurs  are  wanted,  or  prune  it  back  to  that 
point  and  then  make  the  terminal  bud  produce  two  shoots 
for  each  pair  of  spurs ;  and  by  the  time  the  upper  pair  are 
produced,  the  lower  ones  will  have  failed,  in  consequence  of 
the  flow  of  sap  to  the  top  of  the  vine ;  and  just  here  is  the 
point  where  all  such  systems  fail.  No  matter  whether 
you  take  one  year  or  ten  to  perfect  them,  the  result  is  the 
same,  as  no  cane  of  four  to  six  feet  long  will  bear  regularly 
from  one  end  to  the  other  when  trained  perpendicularly. 
It  may  be  distorted  in  any  manner  you  choose,  but  the 
nearer  it  approaches  the  horizontal  the  more  uniform  and 
regular  will  be  the  results. 

THOMERY  SYSTEM. 

The  Thomery  system  of  growing  and  training  the  grape 
was  perfected  about  a  hundred  years  ago,  at  the  village  of 
Thomery,  in  France  ;  hence  its  name.  Its  invention  prob- 
ably owes  its  origin  to  the  peculiarities  of  the  situation 
and  soil  at  Thomery,  which  compelled  its  founders  to  adopt 
extraordinary  means  to  bring  about  results  which  have 
been  obtained  in  many  other  parts  of  the  country  with 
only  a  moderate  outlay  in  the  beginning,  and  much  less 


258  THE    GRAPE    CULTURIST. 

time  than  it  takes  to  perfect  this  somewhat  intricate  and 
tedious  system. 

Between  thirty  and  forty  years  ago  the  Thomery  was 
brought  prominently  before  the  American  public  by  some 
of  our  leading  pomologists — such  as  Lowell,  Kenrick,  and 
others ;  but  the  long  time  that  it  takes  to  perfect  it  seems 
to  have  discouraged  its  adoption.  In  America,  land  is 
too  cheap,  and  the  impatience  of  the  people  too  great,  for 
this  system  in  all  its  details  to  become  popular  for  at  least 
a  hundred  years  to  come.  It  is  not  only  a  system  of  train- 
ing the  vine,  but  of  layering  and  general  arrangement  of 
the  vineyard,  to  be  carried  on  from  the  very  commence- 
ment by  regular  steps  through  a  succession  of  years  (usu- 
ally from  eight  to  twelve)  to  completion. 

The  horizontal  arm  and  spur-pruning,  such  as  I  have 
given  on  previous  pages,  is  often  called  the  Thomery  sys- 
tem, and  though  it  is  a  part  of  it,  still  it  does  not  comprise 
the  whole,  any  more  than  one  of  the  planets  comprises  the 
whole  of  the  solar  system. 

In  the  past  three  or  four  years  this  system  has  again 
"been  brought  prominently  before  the  public  by  several 
writers  on  grape  culture,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  some 
of  its  advocates  wih1  have  the  patience  and  skill  to  carry  it 
out  and  perfect  a  half  acre  or  more  of  vines  on  this  plan, 
so  that  it  may  be  demonstrated  whether  it  is  an  economical 
method  to  adopt  with  our  native  varieties.  That  the  vines 
will  be  improved  in  growth  by  the  plan  of  layering,  which 
is  one  of  the  features  of  the  system,  is  quite  certain ;  but 
that  it  is  at  all  necessary  with  strong  growing  varieties  is 
very  doubtful. 

The  system  does  not  seem  to  be  fully  understood  by  all 
who  have  attempted  to  describe  it ;  at  least  they  do  not 
agree,  for  some  have  shown  the  vines  with  alternate  double 
and  single  bearing  canes,  as  seen  on  page  246,  Fig.  96  ;  and 
others  with  them  all  double.  Rubens,  in  his  work,  shows 
the  vines  all  equally  balanced  and  with  two  canes  growing 


REVIEW    OF   PRUNING    AND   TRAINING.  259 

from  each  spur,  and  we  find  it  shown  the  same  in  many 
other  European  works  on  grape  culture.  In  the  excellent 
work  of  Dr.  Ecorchard,  Professor  of  Botany  and  Director 
of  the  Garden  of  Plants  at  Nantes,  the  Thomery  system  is 
most  fully  illustrated,  and  its  whole  rationale  explained  in 
a  clear  and  explicit  manner ;  but  there  are  no  alternate 
single  and  double  canes  given.  Now  whether  these  men 
are  all  wrong  and  the  others  are  right,  I  leave  it  with  the 
reader  to  judge. 


OF      . 

WORKS    ON   GRAPE    CULTURE 

PUBLISHED   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES,  WITH   DATE  AND  PLACE  OF  PUBLICATION, 
AND   NAMES   OF    AUTHORS. 


1823. — A  Memoir  on  the  Cultivation  of  the  Vine.  By  John  Adlum, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

1826. — The  American  Vinedresser's  Guide.  John  James  Dufour  ;  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. 

1829. — The  American  Vinedresser's  Guide.     Alphonse  Loubat,  N.  Y. 

1829. — Vinedresser's  Theoretical  and  Practical  Manual.  Theabaut  de 
Berneaud  (translated  from  the  French),  New  York. 

1830. — American  Manual  of  the  Grape  Vine.     C.  S.  Rafinesque,  Phila. 

1830.— Treatise  on  the  Vine.     William  R.  Prince,  New  York. 

1834.— Observations  on  the  European  Vine.    S.  I.  Fisher,  Philadelphia. 

1837. — Practical  Treatise  on  the  Cultivation  of  the  Grape  Vine.  Clem- 
ent Hoare  (reprint  from  the  English  edition),  Boston. 

1846. — Cultivation  of  American  Grape  Vines.  Alden  Spooner,  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y. 

1848.— Grapes  and  Wine.     James  Busby,  New  York. 

1852. — Culture  of  the  Grape.     Robert  Buchanan  ;  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

1852.— American  Grape  Grower's  Guide.     Wm.  Chorlton,  New  York. 

1853.— The  Cold  Grapery.     William  Chorlton,  New  Yo*k. 

1853.— A  Practical  Treatise  on  the  Culture  of  the  Grape  Vine.  J.  Fiske 
Allen,  New  York. 

1854. — A  Rough  Sketch  of  the  Renewal  System  of  Pruning  Grape 
Vines.  William  Martin,  Sr.,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

1855.— The  Vine;  its  Culture  in  the  United  States.  R.  H.  Phelps, 
Hartford,  Conn. 

1856. — A  Treatise  on  the  Culture  and  Management  of  Grape  Vines. 
James  Suydam,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

1856.— New  Process  of  the  Culture  of  the  Vine.  Persoz  (translated  by 
J.  O'C.  Barclay),  New  York. 

1859. — Vinedresser's  Manual.     Charles  Reemelin,  New  York. 

1859. — Grape  Culture.     H.  De  Caradeuc,  Augusta,  Georgia. 

I860.— Both  Sides  of  the  Grape  Question.     William  Saunders,  Phila. 

1860. -Bright  on  the  Grape.     William  Bright,  Philadelphia. 

1862. — Open  Air  Grape  Culture.     John  Phin,  New  York. 

1863.— Our  Hardy  Grapes.     J.  M.  Knowlton,  New  York. 

1863.— An  Essay  on  the  Culture  of  the  Grape.  George  Husmann, 
Hermann,  Mo. 

1863.— Grape  Culture  and  Wine  Making.     A.  Haraszthy,  New  York. 


INDEX. 


Age  of  vines 86 

Analysis  of  soils 91 

Arms,  length  of..... 138 

"      two  tiers  of 142 

Additional  list  of  varieties 282 

Alternate  renewal  system 244 

Alternate  bearing  canes 246 

Botanical  characters 9 

Brick  flues , .  47 

"        "    how  to  make 48 

Bones,  ground 99 

Buds .r Ill 

Buck  pruning 175 

Bright's  system 241 

Bow  system 251 

Bow  system  of  Eubens 253 

Compost  for  young  plants 25 

Compost  for  vineyard 97 

Cuttings  in  boxes 86 

"        of  unripe  wood 87 

"       in  open  air 49 

"       form  of 50 

"        intrench 52 

"        time  required  to  strike 52 

Cross  breeding 72 

Caterpillars 191 

Deformed  flowers 14 

Depth  of  soil 95 

Draining  of  borders 162 

Double  stem 169 

Diseases -. 205 

"       black  rot 206 

"       mildew 208 

Description  of  varieties 212 

Fibrous  roots 50 

Fruit  spurs 187 

Four  tiers  of  arms 166 

Fan  training 173 

Foxy  flavor 213 

Grape,  the  flowers  of 9 

"       American  species 9 

"       Muscadine 10 

"      seedlings 13 

"       growing  fr»m  seed 16 

Grafting  the  grape 64 

"       the  proper  time  for 66 

"       on  layers 69 


Grafts,  protection  of 6T 

"      layering  of 70 

Garden  culture 160 

Grape  borders 161 

Growing  plants  on  borders 163 

Gathering  the  fruit 181 

Girdling  the  vine 176 

Hot-beds,  how  made 80 

"         figure  of. 82 

"         ventilation  of 33 

"         temperature  of 88 

Hybridizing  and  crossing 72 

"          mode  of  operation 7T 

Hybrids :  Allen's,  and  Eogers1 75 

u         what  are  they? 72 

Heeling-in 86 

How  to  plant 116 

Horizontal  arms 134 

Head  pruning 175 

Introductory 7 

Insects  1ST 

Layering  the  vine  59 

"        proper  time  for 60 

"        manner  of 61 

Layers,  how  to  separate 63 

Layering  grafted  vine 70 

Laterals,  treatment  of. 84 

Lime,  when  beneficial 98 

"      application  of 96 

Leaves,  form  of. 102 

"       Oporto 108 

"       Nebraska 104 

"       Scuppernong 1<  5 

"        Yeddo 106 

"       Post  Oak 107 

Long  rod  spur  system 254 

Mallet  cutting 56 

Manures  and  their  application  96 

"        quantity  to  be  used 97 

Muck,howused   98 

Materials  for  tying 118 

Mildew....                             208 


Northern  fox  grape 9 

One-eye  cuttings  in  open  air. 55 

Opposite  arms 140 

Oblique  arms 150 


262 


INDEX. 


Propagation  by  seed  ................     12 

"  by  single  buds  .........     21 

Planting  in  beds  ....................     2T 

Propagating  house,  span  roof  .......    42 

"  "       single-  roof.  .....     46 

"      how  to  build....     4-3 

"      ventilation  of.  .  .     45 
Protection  of  vineyards  .............     89 

Preparing  the  soil  ..................     92 

"      by  trenching  ......     94 

"  "      by  plowing  .......     95 

Planting  the  vine  ...................  113 

Pruning  and  training  ...............  128 

Preserving  the  fruit  ................  182 

Pruning  shears  .....................  186 

Quality  of  the  grape  ................  214 

Repotting  the  vines.  ................     25 

Root  pruning  .......................  114 

Removing  the  leaves  ............  178 

Review  of  pruning  and  training  ____  240 

Reversing  the  arms  .................  247 

Bummer  grape  .....................  9 

Single-bud  cuttings,  time  to  make.  .  22 

Single  buds  in  open  air     .........  28 

Single-bud  cuttings,  form  of  ........  84 


Sand  used  in  pots 

Shading  young  plants 

Starting  cuttings  in  hot-beds 

Soil  for  cuttings  in  open  air 

Selection  of  cuttings 

Soil  and  situation  ____  .............. 

Soil,  no.  of  square  feet  to  the  acre  .  . 
Situation  for  yineyards  ......  ....... 

Salt,  when  to  be  used  ..... 

Special  manures 


23 
25 
29 
49 
50 
88 
91 
89 
98 
99 
Stem  appendages.  ..................  101 


Spurs,  length  of 140 

Second  crop  of  fruit 144 

Sun  scald 210 

Size  and  form  of  fruit 215 

Serpentine  canes   245 

Single  arm  system 249 

Serpentine  training 253 

Taylor  grape,  illustration  of. 14 

Time  to  make  cuttings 50 

Two-eye  cuttings 53 

Transplanting 80 

rffefts  of. 81 

Trench  for  young  vines 82 

Tendrils 108 

Trellises 120 

Time  to  prune 123 

Training,  plan  for  poor  soils 154 

"         in  gardens' 164 

u         to  stakes 172 

Two  tier  of  arms 16T 

Trellises  in  gardens 170 

Thinning  the  fruit 180 

Thomery  system 267 

Upright  canes  with  side  spurs 256 

Vineyardist 8 

Vitis  Labrusca 9 

"     aestivalis 9 

"     .cordifolia 9 

"     vulpina 10 

"     riparia 10 

"     vinitera 10 

Varieties  difficult  to  propagate 57 

Winter  frost  grape 9 

Wire,  sizes  of. 122 

Wiue  making 184 


THE    ILLUSTRATED 

STRAWBERRY   CULTURIST  : 

CONTAINING   THE 

History,  Sexuality,  Field  and  Garden  Culture  of  Strawberries, 

Forcing  or  Pot  Culture,  How  to  Grow  from  Seed, 

Hybridizing;  Results  of  Extensive  Ex- 

periments with  Seedlings, 

AND    ALL    OTHER     INFORMATION    NECESSARY    TO    ENABLE    EVERYBODY 

TO    RAISE    THEIR    OWN    STRAWBERRIES  ;    WITH    THE 

NAMES  AND  SYNONYMS   OF  ALL    THE  NOTED 

STRAWBERRIES    OF    THE    WORLD. 

WITH   RECEIPTS   FOR 

DIFFERENT   MODES  OF   PRESERVING,   COOKING,  AND 
PREPARING  STRAWBERRIES  FOR  THE  TABLE. 

FULLY   ILLUSTRATED   BY 


|(eto  anb  $Kln»He  (Engravings 


IB72"     -A-IN"  JD  DR  E'W      S_ 
Horticulturist. 


Price,  15  cents. 


BROOKLYN    (STATION  K.)   N.   Y. 
1863. 


RETURN  TO  the  circulation  desk  of  any 
University  of  California  Library 
or  to  the 

NORTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
Bldg.  400,  Richmond  Field  Station 
University  of  California 
Richmond,  CA  94804-4698 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 
2-month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling 

(415)642-6233 
1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing  books 

to  NRLF 
Renewals  and  recharges  may  be  made  4  days 

prior  to  due  date 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


filJGS   1987 


668584 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


•  —  •-••<•    •  • 


• 


f  /  f  f  f 

••-  r  .-  ,t '  f  f  f  f  f  f  . 

•  :'  •  f   f/  f 

....  , 


:;;•:•'• 


.  •  -  . 

3 


-  - , .    - 
•  •.-..•.-. 

--.•=•.•  •  •  -.../. 

, ,  .•  /  / 

•  ^  ;  f  e  f 


•  .  -   - 


•  • 


> 
:"         . 

sff/t< 
•ffff. 

-•' 

f**     ^ 

- 


-?/" 

4*  Si 


. 

. 

• 


..- 


